La Fleur De La Lumière
by Aetraega
Summary: Emeric has secrets. Secrets big enough to endanger those around him. No matter how much Fleur pries, he will not tell her anything. However, she's more involved in his secrets than she knows. And there's no way to get herself out. LUMIERE CHRONICLES.
1. Chapter One

**Well, this is an idea that's been floating around for a while. For once I'm going to settle in for the long haul and actually try and finish a chaptered fic. It's also a bit of an experiment, I've never written anything long in first person. Also, everything in italics is in French. This will be more important later in the story. **

**I'm not even pretending I own Harry Potter or any of the characters. If I did, Fleur wouldn't be so OOC (Sorry for that…) Anyway, Enjoy!**

La Fleur De La Lumiere

Chapter One

My life hasn't been hard, I'm not even going to pretend that it has. I was born into money, I grew up getting whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it. School started at age eight. I of course went to the most prestigious magical academy for boys (at least in France), Angefort Académie de Magie. I'll never forget the slogan there, it was actually quite pretty. _'La Connaissance Est Force,' _Knowledge is Strength. Were that actually true, I'd be far better treated than I am.

People tend to pity me, and I hate that more than anything. Why pity me? I'm well off, after all. I have an education, a home, money. I'm not lacking a single thing needed to survive, but that's certainly what they act like. I'm not weak, nor pathetic, I don't need you to act like I am. I just want to live like a normal person and not as a lower class. People just can't seem to get this, but I'll leave them be. Their loss.

Yet, I still manage to get a job. It's not high-paying or prestigious, but it is enjoyable. I've always liked animals and the outdoors, so it's actually a treat to come to work every morning. Taking a deep breath of the warm summer air, I gently ran my fingertips through the mane of the winged horse in front of me. The horses that I take care of are beautiful specimens, fitting to be the way the finest Beauxbatons students traveled. Madame Maxime has always been very particular about the treatment of them, they are her pets, after all. I never treat them wrong, of course, I care about them just as much as the headmistress.

My old friends always joke with me, saying I'm lucky to work at Beauxbatons and be around such beautiful girls all the time. Of course, I hardly ever come in contact with the students, all my time is spent with the horses, but this summer was different than the others. Students were actually there, the chosen few eligible to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. They would spend the summer training and getting ready at the school, much more free than during the school year. I could hear them, their voices piercing my brain. I tried to work out what they were saying, but they were too far away, I could only tell that they were speaking. Concentrating so hard on trying to make out the conversation, I missed the footsteps that ruffled the grass near me, and the presence that made a few of the horses snort. I was completely oblivious until I heard a voice.

"_Hello?" _I whipped around at the sound of the voice, but quickly composed myself. I pushed my sunglasses up the bridge of my nose, to completely cover my eyes. _"Hello." _I replied, as nonchalantly as possible. It wasn't often that I was surprised like that, it took grace and just a bit of luck to do so, adrenaline had suddenly pumped into my veins. I could feel my fingers shaking, I tried to stop them, but it was impossible. The person giggled at my efforts, but it seemed more forced than anything, so did the amusement in her voice. _"Sorry, I did not mean to scare you." _There was something in her voice, but it certainly wasn't amusement. It wasn't the voice of a happy or even a content person, it was something I could not place. It bothered me.

"_It's okay, I just didn't hear you walk up…" _My voice quivered, I was concentrating on figuring out the mystery in this girl's voice, enough so that I didn't even ask her name or do any of the other normal greetings. She giggled again, lightly, a little less forced this time. _"Thinking about something rather hard, I see."_ She spoke, starting to liven up, or to pick up her act. I couldn't tell. _"My name is Fleur." _

"_Right! Sorry, I mean…umm…" _I stumbled over my words, unable to calm myself after being pulled from my thoughts. _"I'm Emeric…" _I could almost feel the annoyance being to radiate off her as she spoke again. _"It's nice to meet you, Emeric…" _I furrowed my brow. _"Have I done something wrong?" _I asked, genuinely wondering. I hadn't meant to insult her, and if I knew what I'd done wrong, I could avoid doing it again. _"No, nothing." _She said, but the words were laced with annoyance and a hint of sarcasm.

I could've smacked myself. The one time I get to meet a Beauxbatons girl, I manage to screw things up. Apparently I wasn't as charming as many of my friends thought. _"I'd better be getting back…" _She said, taking a few steps, passing me. _"Goodbye, Emeric, it was nice meeting you…" _Her footsteps rang in my ears at first, but slowly faded until she was gone.

I sighed loudly, startling the horses. The one closest to me snorted in my face, and I lifted a hand to clean off the specks of wetness she'd blown onto my face. _"Quit criticizing me! It's not my fault I'm a little socially awkward…"_ It wasn't even that, I hadn't done anything particularly badly. I'd been polite, and nice, aswell. Apparently, there was something about that girl, Fleur, that I did not know.

Yet.

---

"_You're back." _

A smile curled onto my lips, Fleur wasn't able to sneak up on me again, not that it seemed like she was trying. Her footfalls were heavy (Heavier than before, at least), and something seemed different. She wasn't annoyed at me, no, she seemed apologetic. I'd rather have her be annoyed. _"I'm sorry, for what I did yesterday…" _Sure enough, she was apologetic. I would've moaned, but it seemed impolite. Instead, I responded with a shake of the head. _"It's fine, it was probably my fault, anyway." _My smile returned, small but evident. I could feel her smiling back at me. _"No, I overreacted…" _

"_And the fact that you're admitting that is amazing." _As soon as the words left my mouth, I scrambled to clarify what I meant. I hadn't been criticizing her character, only observing. _"What I meant was that there aren't many people strong enough to admit that they've done something wrong and apologize for it…" _A compliment. Perfect. _"Well, thank you, I suppose."_ She said, taking a step forward. Soft blades of grass were crushed under her foot, despite how lightly she stepped. It was odd how well I picked sounds up now, I could tell what coins you were holding in your hand if you jingled them, and I could judge where you were merely from the sound of your footsteps. Came with the territory, I suppose.

Fleur sat down, letting out a quiet sigh, before taking in a deep breath of the morning air. Warm, but crisp, summers here were odd. Judging from the noise, she sat to my right, with her back pressed against the side of the same tree I was using as a backrest. I did not turn my head to look at her, and did not speak for a long moment. I was merely enjoying the day, as she seemed to be doing. _"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" _I finally asked, words soft, not meant to disturb whatever thoughts were going through her head. _"Yes, it is…" _

Silence fell upon us, not very awkward, but I was wondering what she was thinking so intently about. Or if she was thinking intently. To check, I reached out a hand, placing it on her shoulder. Sure enough, she was tense, her shoulder felt like marble beneath my fingers for the few seconds it was under my fingers. Within a moment, she jerked her shoulder away, and I withdrew my hand. _"Sorry…" _It hadn't been an accident, but an apology seemed in order.

Standing, Fleur muttered a goodbye to me, before stalking off. She wasn't leaving in annoyance this time, she was leaving in anger. 'I am hopeless, aren't I?' I thought to myself, my smile and good mood remaining. She'd come back after I screwed up last time, so why not this time?

---

"_Yes, I'm back." _

This was not looking good. Fleur had stormed up to me, anger pouring from her mouth in the form of words and also in the form of actions. _"How dare you touch me!" _She raised a finger at me as she spoke, I could feel it brush against my nose. A sudden current of electricity shot through my body, causing me to jump as much as her words did. _"Last time I checked, I wasn't public property! You cant grope me whenever you please! Staring, that's fine, but no touching!" _

I couldn't suppress the chuckle that rose in my throat, and that seemed to make her even angrier. _"What's so funny?! This is serious!"_ She let out an exasperated sigh, almost like a prettier version of a growl. Intimidating nonetheless. _"I figured you'd be different than the other boys, but no! You're just like all the rest, seeing me only for my body and nothing else!"_ It all seemed to make sense to me now, and the realization must've appeared on my face. _"Don't act like it was all innocent. I hate liars." _She'd gotten annoyed because I'd stuttered the first time we met, she thought it was because of her beauty. I'd touched her the second time we'd met, she thought I was coming on to her. How Shakespearean.

"_But, it was innocent." _I insisted in a soft voice, much calmer that hers. I could feel her hot glare on me, no matter what I did she just got angrier. I wasn't alarmed, amused was more the term. _"Why don't you take these damn glasses off and look me in the eye-" _She grabbed my glasses at the bridge of my nose, pulling them away. _"Oh…"_ Her anger dissipated almost immediately, and I smiled at her.

"_Perhaps I would be like those other boys, seeing you for merely your body, if I had eyes to see with." _I could feel her staring at me, staring at my eyes. They did not look like normal eyes, the entire eye was coated with milky white. However, their original color still showed through some (Or so I've been told). Green. Already, the apologetic waves had returned. _"And don't you dare apologize, your actions were perfectly warranted. Hopefully now we'll be on the same page, though…"_

"_Yes, I think we are…" _She didn't apologize, and I smiled at her. She pulled her gaze from my damaged eyes. I felt my glasses be pushed back into my hand, before she sat down with a sigh. _"Now I feel horrible…"_ I sat down next to her, pocketing my glasses. No need to wear them now, after all. _"Don't feel bad. It was only a misunderstanding. Or two, technically." _I got nothing from her for a little while, only her regulated breathing. Finally, the question came up.

"_How did it happen?" _I had no problem answering this now, I'd answered it a million times before. _"It was an accident, in school. We were practicing hexes in school, and my partner got the incantation wrong. It changed it, you know? Made a simple, curable hex something incurable. Some call it a charm, some a spell, some a curse. I don't find anything wrong with it."_

_ "Nothing wrong? You cannot see, surely that's a difficulty for many things."_ She was skeptical, probably because I was lying just a little bit. I did find something wrong with it, like that fact that it changed my entire life. Not particularly for the worse nor for the better, just changed it.

"_It did, at first, but my other senses have compensated for it. I hear better than anyone now, hence the reason why it was so odd that you managed to sneak up on me the first time we met."_ I smiled in her direction, it felt like she returned it. _"People have said I am graceful, I'll make sure to be a bit more clumsy around you."_ I laughed, and she quickly joined in. _"Well, thank you, Fleur. I appreciate it. Although you don't have to fall all over the place, walking heavy works just fine." _

"_Well then, I'll do that, Emeric."_ The fact that she'd remembered my name was amazing, probably because she'd been hating me while deciding what words she was going to use to tell me off. Hell, I remembered her name, and I had no idea why. Maybe because she was the first person at Beauxbatons to talk to me not out of necessity. Honestly, I was glad it was her. She seemed smart, strong, and mature. Fleur was definitely different than other girls I'd talked to in my life. Different in a good way. _"What are you thinking about?"_ She asked, and I shook my head with a smile.

"_Oh, it's nothing." _

**Well, what did you think? The more you review, the more I write, so go post some reviews now!**


	2. Chapter Two

**This chapter's gonna be a bit different than the last, I hope you notice the difference right away. And I'm sorry about the OOC-ness of Fleur, it's just how I imagine her!**

_**Greki- Truly, thank you! It's reviews like yours that really make me want to continue writing! I hope you like this chapter as much as the last!**_

La Fleur De La Lumiere

Chapter Two

I think this is the first time I've ever truly enjoyed a boy's company. Ever since I was little, boys were only attracted to me because of my beauty, what my mother calls my 'Veela Thrall.' It only got worse as I got older and as I matured, because they did, too. Too bad there isn't a spell to rid all people of their hormones, even me. Of course, I long to be with someone, but I don't want anyone that I don't love and that doesn't love me back. I learned to be a tease, it seems to be working, because most boys see me as an unreachable goal.

It is the reason I was so easy to anger at Emeric's actions, before I knew about his…state. I thought he was just coming on to me, like all the others, but he wasn't. He's just a little bit awkward, I find it cute, almost irresistibly so. It's why I kept coming back, even after he angered me. That damn smile, it makes him seem so sad, and it makes me want to comfort him. I am the master of holding back, however, so I change my longing into silence. If it works for him, it works for me.

I approached the spot where I always found Emeric, just to see that his familiar presence was lacking. He wasn't there. _"Hmm…" _I whispered quietly to myself, looking around. Maybe he was sick, that's why he wasn't here. Still, they'd been meeting nearly every day for just about two months, and he'd always been at this tree. It was a great old oak, not older than Beauxbatons, but easily in the hundreds. This tree made me think of Emeric, because they both seemed old and hard. Odd, I know, but it truly is what I think when I see this tree. Perhaps that is the reason why I only think of him when I spot it from castle…I shook my head furiously, a light blush adding a splash of color to my cheeks despite the fact that no one was there to see it.

Why was I thinking such things? He was just a friend, and that was all. It was all he thought of me. God, who was I kidding? I wouldn't be surprised if he had a thrall himself, I suppose it's charm when it comes from a human. The fact that he didn't have a girlfriend shocked me, he was so genuinely nice. I'd never met anyone like him before. Yes, I had developed a little bit of a crush. The kind of crush that had me constantly thinking about him, day and night. Maybe it wasn't such a little crush.

"_Sorry, Fleur." _Emeric's voice sounded like a chorus of angels in my ears, and it caused my face to light up. The blush left instantly, not that he could see it anyway. _"I had to grab some water for the horses." _Sure enough, he had two large buckets full of water in his hands. _"Madame Maxime insists they only drink single malt whiskey, but I think water's a bit better for a summer day." _He set down the water a few feet from me, a few horses came up to drink. _"How did you know I was here?" _I asked, and he smiled at me. _"You're happy today." _He replied, nonchalantly. _"I can feel it. Why are you so happy?" _

_"It's just a good day…" _

My eyes scanned him up and down, for once I noticed what he was wearing. I mostly focused on his face, his features were simply stunning in my mind. He was wearing periwinkle blue pants, made from the same silky material that the school uniforms were made of. His torso was covered with a long sleeved, lightweight, white shirt. He left a few buttons undone at the top and the sleeves were rolled up, but it was tucked in. _"I never noticed, you have a uniform…" _I said, looking back up to his face. His smile turned into a grin, and he shrugged. _"That's because I never wore them before. Madame Maxime said that since I am going to Hogwarts with the group next year, I must look presentable. I just got them yesterday, she said to wear them from now on." _

"_You're coming with us?!" _It was merely impossible for me to hide my joy. Had I a little less pride, I would have squealed in delight. _"Yes, I am. Trust me, I'm as excited as you. Never been out of France before." _

_"Never?!" _

_"Never." _I shook my head, reaching out and taking his hand. I could feel the calluses on his palms that damaged the otherwise-smooth skin. _"You have no idea how great this is going to be!"_ I dragged him backwards, out from under the shade of the tree. I had to squint in the sunlight, but he did nothing, his eyes didn't even twitch. It was odd, considering how bright it was. I laid down on the grass, pulling him down next to me. He seemed a bit apprehensive, but not too bad. I was thankful for that.

We laid back on the soft grass, I stared up at the sky, using my free hand to shield my eyes from the glowing ball that was the sun. It was another cloudless day, almost like a picture from a painting. Just the sight of it made a smile curl on to my lips. I stole a glance over at Emeric, his eyes were pointed at the sky, but he didn't see it. He couldn't see how beautiful it was today, but I guessed he was imagining it. It had to be hard for him, just having to imagine everything around him. It was like his life was a constant book, he would never see the beauty of the world. For that, I felt sorry, even though he didn't want me to be.

"_You're still holding my hand." _He stated, his head not moving as his lips did. I turned a vibrant shade of red, I could feel heat in my cheeks that wasn't from the sun. Quickly, I moved to pull my hand from his, but found myself unable. His fingers had curled around mine, nearly engulfing my hand. I shot him a look, he smiled, almost like he knew I was doing it. _"Never said I didn't like it, Fleur…"_ He'd gotten a lot more comfortable around me in the past couple of months, either that or I'd just gotten used to how different he was. He saw the world in a different way, and I loved it. I'm glad I stuck with it and kept coming back, he was a really great guy, not like the others.

I continued to stare at him for a long moment, before my gaze returned to the endless summer sky. It was days like today that lightened the shade of my eyes, days when I was happy. Truly happy, not just acting. I was surprised to find how happy just being with Emeric could make me, and the warmth that surrounded my hand heightened the feelings. I let out a content sigh, like a cat lounging in the sun, giving rise to soft laughter from Emeric. Yet, he remained silent, and it seemed to stay that way for a long time. We merely laid in the grass, enjoying the presence of one another and the contact of our hands. I couldn't believe that I was able to enjoy the presence of a-

"_Fleur!" _The yell shattered the serene silence of the world around us, and my thoughts came to a screeching halt. I recognized that voice, it was Gabrielle. Quickly, I sat up, and Emeric follow suit (though a little more slowly than I). _"Coming, Gabrielle!" _I returned, my voice carrying in the quiet air. Both Emeric and I stood, he was facing me. It took me a moment to realize what he was doing when he raised my hand (for it was still loosely clutched in his) and bent down to it. Ever so gently, his lips pressed against the back of my hand, and the feeling nearly made my knees shake. _"Until next time, Mademoiselle Delacour…" _

I couldn't muster anything more than a smile, it was as if my mind had shut down. He dropped my hand, but gave me a soft push in the direction of the voice. Only then did Gabrielle's continued yells meet my ears, I turned on my heels and quickly ran towards the front entrance of the castle, where my sister was waiting. _"What's with you?" _She asked, a small grin on her features. It was not unlike her to be curious, she was young and wanted to acquire as much knowledge as possible. Still, I was a bit reluctant to tell her exactly what was going on.

"_It-It's nothing…" _I was surprised that my voice faltered, even though I had been willing it not to. _"Right…" _Gabrielle drew out the word, making the sarcasm painfully evident. _"Gabrielle, I will tell you as soon as I know myself." _My voice was strong again, but the heat in my cheeks did not want to go away. _"Do we have a deal?" _She asked, and I nodded in return. Sticking out her hand, we shook on it, and I was aware of the soft burning sensation on my skin where he'd kissed my hand.

"_Yes, we have a deal." _

---

The days continued to be as beautiful as the one I spent with Emeric, but it was becoming harder and harder to go and spend time with him. Madame Maxime had been working us hard, to prepare us for the trials and tribulations of the Triwizard Tournament if we are chosen. Finally, we got a morning off, so I hurried out onto the sprawling lawn. Today was a less beautiful day than many had been recently. Clouds overtook the sky, blocking the sun's rays. It was warm, but not the same kind of warmth. This time, I didn't have to search for Emeric, he was leaning against his favorite tree. Approaching, I walked heavily, like he asked me to. Turning his head, he smiled.

"_Busy, I see." _He didn't seem angry, merely stating a fact. _"I'm sorry!" _I said, _"We've been practicing a lot and-" _

_"Hush." _That soft word silenced me, and he shook his head. _"I wasn't looking for an apology, I know why you've been busy, and that's perfectly normal. Can't expect to see each other every day. Where's the anticipation?"_ He grinned. I couldn't help but notice how cute he looked when he was happy. It was like he was happy and calm at the same time, something I certainly couldn't achieve, no matter how hard I tried.

"_True! Though I think our time together would be just as wonderful if we saw each other every day…" _Those were words fueled only by my longing to see him all day, every day. I hoped he couldn't tell that, but hoped even more than he was thinking the same thing. _"Ah, I agree." _He pushed himself off of the tree, walking until he was standing in front of me, using a hand to guide his way (or as an excuse to touch me). _"I merely was trying to philosophical. In other words, sound very smart." _

_"I know what philosophical means."_ I retorted, crossing my arms and putting up a fake air of anger. My smile would not disappear to save my life, however. _"You're smiling."_ I dropped my arms and laughed lightly. _"How the hell did you know that?" _

_"Because I know you, Fleur, you're always smiling." _

"_Only when I'm with you…" _I made a mental note to slap myself later, what a stupid thing to say! Emeric didn't seem to think so, however. _"Only?" _He inquired, a look of disbelief on his face. I couldn't help the giggle, and that increased the intensity of his look. _"What?" _Emeric asked, and I shook my head. _"It's nothing! You just look really cute when you're confused." _Perfect, I didn't have to answer his confusion. His look melted into a smile. _"I imagine you do, aswell."_ For some reason, his words brought a pain into my heart, and he could tell because I fell silent. _"Well, there I go again, being socially awkward." _I shook my head. _"It wasn't you…" _The words came out softer than usual as my gaze fell to the grass. He left me be for a little while, before speaking again.

"_Fleur…"_ He started off slowly, gaze seeming to be fixed on the spot right over my shoulder. _"Do you think I could…feel you?"_ I grinned, and he must've realized how dirty it sounded, because he quickly tried to fix his words. _"I mean, feel your features! Map your face, so to speak…helps with the mental picture…" _I nodded, quickly adding in a quiet 'yes.' There was nothing I wanted more than for him to touch me, honestly, though I would never admit that. He was a bit hesitant, but his fingers finally reached out, landing on my cheek. The spark was instant.

Forced to close my eyes, I inhaled sharply as his fingers began to move across my face. Emeric's touch was ever so light, it felt almost like feathers. He felt my entire right cheek, before moving across my right eye and on to my forehead. Heat seemed to follow his fingers, I was sure I was as red as a tomato. As he continued to search my features, Emeric didn't make a sound. He was concentrating very hard on taking in what he felt. He really wanted a good picture of me in his head. It was only fair, since his face appeared to be burning into the back of my eyes. My heartbeat quickened, the organ felt like it was going to burst out of my chest at any minute. As his touch descended onto my left cheek, I was focusing all my energy on not trembling, not acting like a romantic fool. That was impossible.

I forced my eyes open, he certainly looked like he was focusing very hard. I smiled, and he must have felt it, because he smiled, too. Gently, his fingers swept down my nose, his index and middle fingers ending on my lips. The same feeling came again, the feeling that made me take in air like I had been drowning. He chuckled, I continued to smile at him. He was so beautiful when he smiled, when he was happy. Beautiful was definitely the right word to describe it. His fingers lingered on my lips for the longest time, I didn't dare move, and neither did he. Clearly, he was contemplating (though he tried to hide it), and I could easily guess what he was thinking about.

Leaning forward, I removed his fingers, placing a small kiss against his lips. I had to stand on my tiptoes to do so, he was taller than he'd seemed before. I grinned, lips burning. My knees were actually shaking this time, and I had to grip his shoulders for balance. Emeric was surprisingly muscular, or just very, very tense. _"There, now you don't have to think so hard anymore!" _My voice wavered, betraying my confident façade. He seemed speechless, a distant look on his face. An 'uh-huh' was all he could manage, and nothing more. I couldn't blame him, after feeling what his touch could do to me.

Emeric seemed to break from his trance with a smile, and he leaned in to steal another kiss from me. I felt my breath leave my lungs, preparing for what was coming, but I never received it simply because we were interrupted by a yell. _"Fleur!" _It seemed like a repeat of before, but Emeric jumped this time. _"My god…" _He muttered, his heart was probably going as quick as mine was in that instant. I quickly pulled my hands back to rest at my sides, I had regained control of my legs. Clearly, he recognized the voice, because he said, _"Please kill your sister for me…" _

"_Now now, that's not a nice thing to say!" _

_"But, I mean, I just worked up the courage to-" _I silenced him with a finger against his lips. _"There will be a next time, Emeric. I'm sure you'll think of something fantastic to impress me." _I sidestepped, walking towards Gabrielle, but not tearing my gaze from the boy. He merely stood, unmoving, thinking no doubt and burning that into his memory, just as I was. Either that or he was already trying to think of something fantastic to impress me with.

Finally, I turned, running all the way back to Gabrielle despite the fact that I was still breathless from Emeric's almost-kiss. _"You promised, you know." _She said, and I nodded, trying to catch my breath (and failing). _"I know!" _I said, turning my head back to the tree. I could see a small figure that was Emeric, he stood out against the vibrant green background in his blue and white Beauxbatons uniform. He still stood, unmoving. Drawing my lower lip into my teeth, I bit down on it ever so lightly. I knew what I felt, or at least I thought I did. That was good enough for me. I returned my gaze to my little sister, smiling. _"I think I love him, Gabrielle…"_

**Yes, I will be switching back and forth from Emeric's point of view and Fleur's, I figured it would spice up the story a little bit and be more of a challenge for me. Anyway, review like the wind so I keep writing! Also, if you see any mistakes, I'd really appreciate it if you alerted me. I can't catch everything.  
**


	3. Chapter Three

**I have decided instead of re-writing last chapter that I am going to integrate the quickness of it into the story as a whole. I actually like it better than my original idea. Enjoy chapter three!**

La Fleur De La Lumiere

Chapter Three

I saw even less of Fleur over the next week, she didn't even stop by to say hello. Of course she had a lot to prepare for, but I couldn't deny that it was torture to be away from her. Well, my family had a way of cheering me up when I got in a rut, so it was perfect timing for my birthday to be coming up. They always insisted on going all out, we had the money to do so, so it was no problem. I actually enjoyed the gatherings, although I don't normally enjoy being around large groups of people all talking at the same time.

I traded my Beauxbatons uniform for a more casual look of jeans and a t-shirt before disapparating. There were no restrictions for apparating on Beauxbatons grounds, so it was no problem. Instantly upon apparating at my house, I was hit with the hum of several conversations all taking place at the same time. _"Hey, Em's here!" _That voice was distinct, and I knew who it was. My cousin, Ange, son of my mother's sister and her husband. The entire family knew of the friendly rivalry that Ange and I had going, a bit less heated now that school was out, but those feelings still existed. We were pleasant with one another, but always looking for a way to put the other down a notch. Life wasn't life without a rival.

Greetings began pouring in, I was working to figure out exactly who was there. I could pick out my parents (of course), my brother (Faust), a couple of my aunts and uncles, and the majority of my cousins. Well, not the majority, but the majority of cousins that I knew. I curled my lips into a smile as Faust dragged me down long hallways and through a set of double doors into the kitchen. Delicious smells hit my nose, smells I couldn't detect from the entryway. When I said my family went all out for my birthday, I didn't mean on decorations or reservations. I meant on food. _"Doesn't it smell just wonderful in here?!" _My brother exclaimed. I could hear him take a deep breath in through his nose, savoring the smell. I didn't realize it, but I was doing something similar. _"It does." _I replied, pulling from his grip. _"What are we doing tonight?" _

"_Well, we're gorging ourselves on delicious foods from all over the world, talking and hanging out with the fam, and then we're doing a bunch of coming of age stuff that mom and dad wouldn't tell me about." _I could imagine him counting things off on his fingers as he tried to remember everything but the food. _"They probably didn't tell you cause they knew you'd tell me." _It was true. Ever since we were little, we've always been very close. I was often left out of discussions because our parents didn't want me to know what they were talking about, but they'd let Faust stay and he'd tell me everything later. The agreement was that I'd have to explain what it all meant. Apparently, our parents caught on, because they stopped telling both of us any secrets.

"_I missed you, Faust." _I said softly. It was something I certainly meant, I hadn't seen much of my brother for a long time. He spent his school-years at Angefort and his summers touring with his band. It was really only special occasions that brought him home, like holidays and birthdays. He laughed, giving me a pat on the back. _"There there, big bro, don't cry…" _I lashed out, punching him playfully in the gut. _"That's the last time I ever get sentimental with you." _He laughed again. _"I'm not quite sure why you got sentimental with me in the first place. I mean, me?!" _

_"Because you're my brother. We don't have secrets, at least not ones that we keep from each other…Speaking of which, how are things going with-" _I cut myself off when I heard the sound of the doors being pushed open, followed by the deep voice that belonged to my father.

"_So, Ella, can we eat now or what?" _I could hear my mother sigh, I chuckled lightly. He was a bit tiring, for he was loud and extroverted, an opposite that surprisingly fit my mother. _"Yes, Adrien, since the birthday boy is here we can now eat." _She was quieter than he was, but she had a hell of a tongue and would use it if she needed to. _"Birthday man, don't insult the boy!" _My parents laughed as the rest of the guests filed through the kitchen to the large dining room. Well, hall was actually a better way to describe it. We had a large family, so there was actually a need for the long table with the ability to seat over twenty comfortably. I followed after Faust into the dining room, where most had already seated. We took our regular seats, on the right side of the head of the table (I was closest to the head, and Faust next to me).

Everyone continued to chatter while my parents readied the food, but Faust was unusually silent. I was sure he wanted to talk to me about the subject I brought up right before our father stepped into the conversation. It was hard, what he was going through. I had a bit better understanding now, but I'd only been going through it for a week, and he'd gone through it for years. Plus, there was the problem that he couldn't tell a soul other than me. I respected him deeply for that. He was strong, he had the ability to be truly happy while truly sad, while suffering. He certainly was stronger than I, I merely closed up when things got hard.

Finally, I heard the doors from the kitchen open once more, and the sound of platters and plates being set down on the table. Judging from the speed they were being set down, I could tell that they were being levitated in by my parents. They used magic in their everyday lives, and wondered why I rarely ever used it. Now that I'd been a graduate for more than a year, I didn't carry around my wand, I left it at my parents home. I didn't even know why I never used magic, I was good at it, so it just didn't make sense. It would probably all come to me in a flash as I got older, that seemed to be the case with a lot of things.

Food was being passed around the table, I took a bit of everything since it was impossible to tell what it all was. I wasn't able to be a picky eater, I wasn't turned off by the sight of dishes, only if they tasted bad. Which they rarely ever did. Family members were talking to me and my brother, it was mostly the same unoriginal questions that everyone asked at family get-togethers. I didn't really mind answering them, until that question came up. The question I really didn't want to be asked, and it came from my father.

"_So, you know we all want to know, Emeric. Have you got yourself a girlfriend?" _As soon as the words left his mouth, I heard a sickening thud as my mom slapped him on the chest for asking such a thing. I didn't answer right away, I was thinking of what to reply. Fleur wasn't by any means my girlfriend, we'd kissed once, and I'd begun to think that was a mistake. We'd moved too fast, I'd gone along with it at the time, but looking back I knew. Anything we might have had was most likely gone now, because we made a mistake. A big mistake.

"_Well, umm…" _I struggled to put it into words, everyone seemed to be waiting patiently for my answer. _"No…No, I don't…" _Still silence, they knew that wasn't the whole story, they wouldn't let me off that easily. _"I mean, I sort of had this…fling with a girl…but I don't think there's really anything there…Just lust."_ Perhaps it wasn't lust exactly, but more of a longing to be with someone who cared. It was hard to explain, I longed to be with Fleur because she accepted me for who I was. I mistook that longing for a romantic connection, and I think she did, too. The result was our kiss, and the effect of our kiss was that we'd probably never be comfortable again. I wouldn't be, I knew that much.

"_Yes, what was her name?" _My father was merely curious, he'd always been like that. _"Fleur Delacour." _There was no problem answering that, this wasn't a movie. I didn't have problems saying her name because it hurt too much. _"Delacour?" _Ange spoke up, taking a pause between sentences to swallow (that was my guess, at least). _"Well, it probably was just lust there, bud."_ Honestly, I had no idea what he was talking about. _"What?" _I asked, and he chuckled lightly. _"I'm guessing she didn't mention it. The Delacours are pretty famous for their women, especially this generation…" _He was taking his time answering what the hell he was talking about, I itched behind my right ear as a sign of annoyance. This was just the way Ange was sometimes. Aggravating.

"_I mean, they're veela! You just got caught in her thrall, man, it was nothing more than that." _Well, that explained a lot. The voices at the table were tuned out as thoughts ran through my mind. The charm of a veela often affected men through their sight, but since I'm lacking that, it's perfectly plausible that she affected me through my ears. That explains why she was so angry that I was 'just like the others,' and also explains why I rushed into things with her. I wasn't normally like that, I like to take things slow and steady for fear they'll fall apart. I know that. Anger and annoyance began to build up in me. Why didn't she just tell me from the start? I would've liked her all the same, and this probably wouldn't have been happening. Things wouldn't have been broken before they could ever really start.

"_Em…Em!" _Faust broke me from my thoughts and I sighed loudly. _"Bro, you okay?" _I nodded halfheartedly. So, my only friend at Beauxbatons turned out to be not a friend at all. How could I know if I even liked her? It seemed like it was all just because of her veela heritage. There was no doubt I'd have to confront her about this, and that would be even less pleasant than thinking about all of this. I didn't like being angry at anyone so mostly avoided the emotion, but this was perfectly warranted in my mind. _"Dude, don't worry about it." _I was sure Faust was smiling at me, so I smiled back the best I could (which was not very good). _"You deserve someone that you can trust, ya know? Someone perfect for you. Pretty sure a Delacour is not what you're looking for…" _I nodded. _"Yeah, I think you're right…" _

---

"_Do you think I'll ever be able to tell mom and dad?" _It was long after dark, and many of the guests had gone home. The few left were mingling, but Faust and I had chosen to go to our favorite spot for stargazing. It was a simple hill on the very back end of our property, covered with a layer of soft grass, perfect for laying down on. We'd come out here often growing up, almost always when we had something to talk about that we didn't want our parents to overhear. It was a relatively warm night, like always in the summer, so it was easy to relax and talk to my little brother.

"_Honestly, brother, I have no idea." _I replied, almost able to hear his mood fall. He was in a sticky situation, a very sticky situation. _"I want to, I really do! I mean, if they could only see her for her and not for who she is than everything would be fine…"_

_  
"I know it would. I've met her, she's a wonderful person, and she's perfect for you. I just don't know if our parents could get over the fact that she's a Fonce." _I kept my mouth shut as I listened to my brother sniffling, trying to hold back tears that threatened to pour down his cheeks. He had a good reason to cry. The girl he'd given his whole heart to was of the family Fonce, the family ours was at odds with and had been for over a thousand years give or take a few truces. He'd told me when they'd just started dating, he was fourteen at the time, and I'd met her a year later. Violet really was a wonderful person, a bit brash, but nice nonetheless. It hurt to know that my brother was in so much pain, and that I couldn't help him.

"_You haven't been playing shows over the summer, have you?" _I questioned softly, and he could hear ruffling as he shook his head. _"No…" _He sounded pitiful, unable to keep his voice strong. I said nothing about it. _"I've been staying with Violet in England…sure I played, but that's not the reason I was there…" _He really did love the girl, more than anything. He was willing to alienate the family in order to be with her, I was sure of it. I did not want that to happen, though, because it was a death-wish. _"I don't think you'll ever have to tell mom and dad, if things with the Fonce don't get better. Just say you're moving to England because the money's better, and be done with it. You merely have to distance yourself from the family and they'll let you go." _

_"Is that what you're trying to do?" _

Silence fell as I tried to think of an answer. I wasn't trying to distance myself, I just was distant. Still, I wasn't like Faust, I could never truly leave the family. My role was too important, I was too important. Even if I wanted out I could never be let go. I was born into what I was, and that could never change. Faust was different, though, he could change his path. I wanted him to change his path, so he'd become happy again. As his elder brother, it was partly my job to take care of him. There was a long while where he'd been taking care of me, so this was me paying him back. _"No, I'm just distant. I can never leave the family, you know that…" _

All talking stopped, and we merely laid on the grass. I was sure that Faust was staring intently at the stars, trying to make out pictures by connecting the bright points of light in the sky. It was what he always did when they came to this spot. Meanwhile, I relaxed, the mixture of the warm air and the familiar presence beside me threatening to send me to sleep. And that it did. Normally, my nights were spent dreamless, but this time I was not so lucky.

---

I woke with a start, totally disoriented. I had no idea where I was, and could only vaguely remember last night's talk with Faust. 'I fell asleep, that's all…' I thought to myself, sitting up. My fingers felt around, trying to grasp where I was. It finally came to me. This was my old room, someone must have moved me from outside in here, probably Faust. My head throbbed like someone had hit me in the temple with a two-by-four, probably the result of whatever I'd been dreaming of. I always got headaches when I dreamed, probably because whenever I dreamed it was always a nightmare.

Stumbling out of bed, I managed to make it to the door. I took a moment to steady myself before emerging. I'd grown up in this mansion, I knew the halls by heart, it did not take sight to get around. After walking countless halls and stumbling down several flights of stairs, I ended back up in the kitchen, where the family assembled at a smaller table in the morning to eat breakfast and wake up. _"Morning, Emeric!"_ I heard my father say, I merely nodded in return. I was still in a bit of a fog, I hadn't entirely woken up. _"Tea, dear?" _Was my mother's question. I nodded again, and I heard her set the kettle on the burner of the stove.

I fell into an open chair and was able to hear the rustling of a newspaper. Faust liked to read muggle news, he found it entertaining, so they got a paper every morning. Soon, a nice cup of tea was in front of me, along with an aspirin. _"For your headache." _How she always knew when I was sick, I did not know. _"I don't know why you wont just let me heal you." _

_"I prefer the drugs." _I replied simply, before popping the pill into my mouth and swallowing it with a swig of very hot tea. Within the hour, my headache had disappeared and I'd finished my tea and breakfast. It was time to go.

---

It was odd to think that I was nineteen now, how a simple day marked that change from one age to another. This was all I could think of as I packed clothes into a bag, along with everything that I'd need for a year away. Nothing came to mind when I tried to think of how to confront Fleur, we haven't talked for nearly two weeks. I don't know if that's because she does not want to talk to me or if she's busy. Still, I knew I had to talk to her, to explain. It was going to be hard, but I was just going to have to improvise, because my mind continued to draw a blank. For the time being, it was best to continue thinking about age and how a birthday was the only thing that marked a change in age. Either that or thinking about the theory of life. Both were simpler than his Fleur dilemma.

Packing went quickly, I didn't really have much, and it was time for all the students to meet and prepare to leave. No doubt it was going to be odd for me and them alike, I was the only male going with Beauxbatons. Madame Maxime had insisted, she didn't trust anyone else to take care of the horses. I didn't blame her, and I was pretty excited to get out of France. Only problem, I'd be stuck in relatively small quarters with Fleur for the time it took to get to Hogwarts, and I'd have absolutely nothing to say. Great.

Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I walked across the grounds, to the assembly point. Someone else had harnessed the horses, so I didn't have to do anything but get on and pray that Fleur didn't notice that I was there. Fat chance of that. All the girls were beginning to file in to the carriage, apparently, because Madame Maxime gave me a soft shove into the carriage and then walked in herself. The carriage was bigger than it would seem, I didn't have to duck my head at all to walk around nor squeeze through any tight corridors. Madame Maxime showed me my room, before moving past me to hers. I threw my things onto the bed from the doorway, taking a moment before entering, a moment I shouldn't have wasted. If I had just moved in, she wouldn't have seen me, and wouldn't have spoken in her damn soft voice.

"_Emeric?"_

**Longer than I'd expected it to be, but I'm pretty happy with this chapter. Please review, it keeps me going!**


	4. Chapter Four

La Fleur De La Lumiere

Chapter Four

_"He's so ridiculous!" _Through my tears, I could see a blurry blue shape dart out of the path of the pillow I'd just chucked across the room. I let out an infuriated growl and Gabrielle shrank back in to the corner of the room. _"I mean, how could he act like this was all my fault?!" _This was often how I got when I was angry. There was no real way for me to dispel the anger, so I tended to cry a bit and throw things. Gabrielle often got out of the way, but she didn't have anywhere to go to this time. I mean, we were on the damn carriage to Hogwarts, and I was going to be stuck around that moronic, pompous bastard for the rest of the trip! _"Perhaps we should just…calm down…" _

_"Calm down?! Gabby, he just insulted me and our family to my face! He called us liars!"_ I'd never directed this much anger at a single person before, and it made me want to explode on someone, preferably him. _"Not really, Fleur…" _Gabby said. _"He just said you were…" _She flinched, knowing that those words would not help one bit. _"Oh, yes, and that makes it okay? I never lied to him, I merely left some things out…"_ The realization helped calm me down, and I wiped the tears that were messing with my vision. Taking deep breaths, I shook my head. _"So, maybe it's a bit my fault, too…" _

_"There! Don't you feel better now?" _I shook my head once more, and Gabby came to sit next to me on the bed. _"No, I feel worse…" _She rubbed my back lightly, giving me a small smile. _"Hey, if it makes you less depressed, then just blame it all on him."_ Standing, walked to the door. _"Where are you going?" _I asked, starting to feel a bit better. _"I'm gonna go check on him. Knowing what you say during arguments, he's probably slitting his wrists right now…"_ Part of me wanted to tell her off for saying such a thing, but I was too pissed and too proud to do so. So instead, I nodded, and Gabrielle left the room.

There was only one thing I could think to do in that moment, and it was to curl up on my bed. Kicking off my shoes, I pulled the covers up to my chin, hugging my knees to my chest. I didn't cry, I wouldn't do that again, but I certainly felt like it. I felt horrible, not just because of what I'd said to Emeric and what he'd said to me, but because of the feeling I had. It was a feeling a loss, the loss of something great. Or that could have been great. It was true, I'd lost him. I'd lost him because I'm a veela. Another thing my blood has taken from me, and I was beginning to think I couldn't get it back.

Emeric was the first guy I'd really liked, the only one I'd ever longed for. He was genuinely sweet, intelligent, and more charming than he knew. Even now, I found myself wanting to talk to him, lusting after his touch. It hurt me more than anything to know that I'd probably never be close to him again, and that it was my fault. He may have been under my thrall, but I wished that he'd never realized that fact. I was selfish, and I wanted him. I wanted him all to myself. The blue silk covers were pressed softly against my lips, the warmth under them lulling me to sleep. I wanted to sleep more than anything, because maybe I'd dream of him.

---

I'd had several classmates come speak to me about the argument. They feigned worry, but I knew it was just to fuel to gossip mills. I didn't really have any friends at Beauxbatons, not true friends, anyway. Anyone that pretended to be my friend was only there to make themselves look cool, like hanging out with me was the greatest thing in the world. I knew they were all jealous of my beauty, but I didn't see what there was to be jealous of. I saw it as a curse. My curse.

My mother and my grandmother always told me to be proud of my veela heritage. After all, veelas were the epitome of beauty and class, the perfect women. I honestly tried to embrace my blood, but it just made things so difficult. This was the last straw. No longer would I work to be proud of where I came from, I would just allow my true feelings about it to show through. If only that could work. It's just not possible. I'll always be proud, arrogant, vain Fleur Delacour, the girl all boys lust after and all girls envy. That image could never change, not now, not ever. No matter how much I hated it.

Madame Maxime called all the girls (plus Emeric) to the meeting room for a quick talk. We were apparently coming up on Hogwarts, after a day and a half in the carriage. I was thankful, I was starting to get cabin fever from being cooped up for so long. Madame Maxime was wearing her best outfit, and all students were dressed in Beauxbatons uniforms. Even Emeric had donned his full outfit, which was consisted of powder blue silk pants, a button-up white shirt, dress shoes, and a powder blue tie embroidered with the Beauxbatons logo. Once again, he was wearing his sunglasses, to hide his disability. No, that was the wrong word. It wasn't a disability, not to him. It was a strength.

I found myself staring at him, of course he didn't notice, but some of my classmates did. They giggled amongst themselves and I turned, throwing my trademark glare. That shut them up quickly. I could be mean when I had to, and this was one of those times where I felt I had to. Turning back, Madame Maxime was giving me an odd look_. "Sorry…" _I said quietly, she merely nodded before beginning. "We are going to show zat Beauxbatons is ze best, which means you should flaunt as much as possible! But, we must speak Anglais for ze poor souls, zey do not speak a word of Francais!" Madame Maxime gave some simple instructions. Speak English and act stuck up. Easy enough.

We couldn't have landed sooner, I seriously wanted out of that carriage. I needed some fresh air, and I needed to get away from everyone there, especially him. I was no longer angry, but if I stayed around him any longer I'd end up making a fool of myself. Again. There was no way in hell I'd give him the satisfaction of knowing that I still liked him, that gave him power of me. Instead, I decided I would merely ignore him, act like he didn't exist. It was basically what he was doing to me, anyway.

The landing was bumpy, but I didn't fall, and neither did Gabrielle (though she came close). There was mad scrambling in the carriage to get off, but we knew Madame Maxime must go first. With a flick of her wand, Madame Maxime opened the door of the carriage and unfolded the steps, before disembarking. My classmates followed her, Gabrielle and I ending up in the back. Unfortunately, Emeric was right behind us, bringing up the rear. He was completely and utter stoic, like a moving statue. His hands were clutched behind his back, he looked very dignified. Seems like he'd have to be, he was the only male specimen that came with Beauxbatons.

I neared the door and came to the stunning realization that it was freezing outside. Just the draft from the open carriage door made me shiver and tense up. It was never this cold back home, especially not at this time of year. As uninviting as the weather was, the castle was worse. It looked more like Azkaban than a dignified school, and the woods that surrounded the grounds looked like they'd just come out of a horror movie. The only sort of comforting thing was that the students looked overly excited that they were meeting some new people. Perhaps I could charm one of them into giving me their robe, I was absolutely freezing! I didn't show it, though, I walked with an air of dignity and arrogance, similar to my classmates.

The fact that basically the entire school was waiting outside became more of an annoyance than everything. After all, they were all staring, especially the boys, and they all seemed to be staring at me. It was probably true, my thrall drew boys in, making it hard to pull their eyes away. I hated it, but there wasn't much I could do unless I wanted to strike every male blind. We were met outside by the headmaster of Hogwarts, Dumbledore. I could hear he and Madame Maxime exchanging words, before he led us into the castle. Apparently, the other school was already there, so we were going to go get seated for a banquet.

Already there were plenty of students seated in what they called the 'great hall.' We got to chose where we sat, I basically just followed everyone else. Sitting at one of four long tables, I looked to my right. Next to me was Gabrielle, and on her right was Emeric. I half expected him to not be there, he'd been so quiet while they were walking and I was sure the noise of the students would disorient him. I really wanted to see him make a fool out of himself by getting lost, but it was too much to ask for. Students continued to file in sit down, and it was when we were all settled that Dumbledore began to speak. He explained the Triwizard Tournament, apparently these students did not know that it was going on yet. They were a rowdy bunch of kids, that was for sure. Quickly, they were becoming a bunch of morons in my mind. Only morons showed that little respect to those above them.

The old headmaster finally stopped talking, and with a flick of his wand, each of the large platters filled with food. Many of the students dug in, but I was a bit cautious. Some of the stuff didn't look at all appetizing, and most of it I'd never seen before. There were also a few laughable attempts at French food, clearly cooked by a person who'd never been to France. This trip was already disappointing, I couldn't imagine how much worse it was going to get. Luckily, the boys of Hogwarts seemed to get so distracted by stuffing their mouths that they stopped staring at me. Everyone around me was chatting and I joined in, spooning some food onto my plate that didn't look horrid.

I shot a look over at my sister and Emeric, I saw that they were talking quietly to each other. Emeric was smiling, and I felt my heart skip a beat. It took everything I had to turn away before anyone realized that I was staring, what I really wanted to do was continue to stare at his smile. I wanted to smile back, and I wanted to talk to him, but I knew that wouldn't happen. He hated me, and I had to hate him back. After all, he deserved to have me hate his guts, after everything he said. I hoped he knew that and was just being stubborn or something. Not that he was the stubborn type. Mentally sighing, I took a bite of food, immersing myself in conversation and gossip and trying to forget about the idiot boy sitting mere feet to my right. It worked for the rest of the dinner, but as night fell and all the students retreated to their dorms, my defenses fell.

Tomorrow all the Beauxbatons students would be dropping their names into the goblet of fire, but that's not what I was worried about. My mind seemed to stick on Emeric, I wondered what he was doing in that moment. He was, after all, the only boy that came with us. That meant that he was alone with all these Hogwarts boys, up in their dorm. Part of me wanted to find a way to save him that torture, but I knew that I couldn't. Plus, he deserved it after everything he did. That was the only way to clear my conscience, say that he deserved everything that happened to him. It seemed to work, I was able to feel smug for a little bit, until another concern started nagging at me. I hated it.

I hated that I cared about him, I wanted to push all those thoughts away and hate him. I wanted my façade to be how I really felt. Underneath everything, I wasn't smug, confident Fleur Delacour. No, it seemed I was more lost and confused than anything. It was a feat that I managed to admit that to myself, pride normally kept me from doing such things. My pride definitely seemed like it was going to be my downfall. I would let things eat away at me without expressing them, until I crumbled. My second curse, after my charm. My life really was more chaotic than most thought, and those same would never know the truth. I would forever be proud, arrogant, smug Fleur Delacour, and nothing else.

--

The quill I held gently between my fingers seemed to move on it's own, writing my name onto the elegant piece of parchment. Around me, all the other girls were doing the same, most looked excited and they were all chatting. All except me. We lined up, the person in front stepping past the age line and dropping signed parchment into the goblet. There were many students watching, from Hogwarts and Durmstrang alike. They just wanted to see who would enter, curiosity kept them in this room. I looked to my left, finding Emeric sitting on the bench next to Gabrielle. She was talking to him, and he'd occasionally nod or say something back, but it appeared as if his eyes were glued on me. It was ridiculous to think such a thing, but it's just what it felt like.

As I stared back at Emeric, it suddenly became my turn. Slowly, I took one step forward, then another, crossing the age line without a problem. I raised the piece of parchment, dropping it into the flame. The goblet flickered slightly as I did so, I took a moment to watch the blue flames. In just a week's time, the names of the champions would come out of that flame. The three people who would have the chance to bring glory to themselves and their respective schools, not to mention the cash prize. I hadn't really deeply hoped that I would be chosen, but I wanted it more than anything now. I wanted to be the champion, I wanted to risk my life, do something daring. I wanted for once to be on the inside what others saw on the outside, and the Triwizard Tournament would allow me to do so.

Stepping back, I turned to walk out of the room. Emeric had looked away, but there was something on his face. I couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it seemed like worry. Was he worrying about me? No, that was just as stupid as thinking that he was staring at me before. He was probably just sick of being here already, he didn't really have any friends, except for Gabrielle. At least I sort of trusted him, so it was better that he be friends with my sister than anyone else in this school. My gaze lingered on the pair for a moment, before I exited the room. Dumbledore had said that eternal glory awaited the student that won the tournament. That glory would be mine.

**Sorry this chapter took so long and that's a bit bad. My laptop came in, so I should be able to update pretty quickly. Anyway, go review now!**


	5. Chapter Five

La Fleur De La Lumiere

Chapter Five

I woke with a start. Completely disoriented, I sat straight up in bed, trying to process where I was and what had just happened. My fingers gripped silken sheets, and despite the cold night, my brow was soaked with sweat. After a long moment of thinking, I raised a hand, wiping away the wetness on my forehead. My breaths came in short, deep gasps. Slowly, they slowed enough for me to slide out from under the covers. The cold air felt good against my warm skin. I felt my way to my bathroom, entering and splashing some cold water on my face.

Why had I had such a dream, such a nightmare? It wasn't like she mattered to me anyway, and it wasn't like any of that could actually happen. The tournament was highly regulated this time around, to make sure no one got killed. The judges wouldn't let anything happen to any of the champions, and what were the chances that Fleur would actually get selected? Somehow, my ramblings calmed me down enough that I could return to bed. Keeping the sheets off, I laid on my back. The bed was ultra-soft (only the best for Beauxbatons girls), so it warped to fit my body. It was an odd feeling, I was used to sleeping on firmer surfaces, and I have to say, I got better night's sleep on them. This bed just gave me odd feelings, I don't know what it was.

Finally, I fumbled for the sheets, pulling them across my body. Sighing, I shut my eyes, not that it made any difference. I still couldn't sleep. That nightmare was unsettling, and considering the champion selection was tomorrow, I should have a lot to worry about. As much as I was trying to loathe Fleur in that moment, I really didn't want her to be chosen because I feared for her safety. No matter how much the judges babied them all, it would be difficult and tiring. It would be highly stressful and possibly harmful to her health. I wanted to believe that she would be okay if she was chosen.

I just couldn't force myself.

--

"What else would the dear boy do? He can't just hang around on the grounds all this year, it defeats the purpose of holding the tournament." I was finding it hard not to smile at Dumbledore's words. He wanted me to participate in seventh year classes, so I wouldn't be bored and so I could make friends. I honestly couldn't think of a better thing to do, so I was thrilled. The best part was, Madame Maxime seemed to be caving in to the headmaster's soft demands. For the first time in a long time, I wanted to make friends. I wanted to talk to people and to have fun. I was out of France for the first time ever, away from my family, and soon to witness a legendary event. Plus, classes would help me take my mind off of silly girls, no matter how well I knew the material.

"Well, I cannot see why not…" Madame Maxime said, contemplating. I tried not to look too excited, it might make me seem happy, and the last thing I wanted was Madame Maxime telling Fleur that I was happy. No, for her I had to be miserable and angry. For all others I could be happy, like I was before, before everything. "If you will allow 'im into your classes, zen I shall permit it." Were I a more extroverted person, I would've done a happy dance, but doing it mentally suited me just fine. I would be in classes, I could think about school again! As much as I pretended not to, I really enjoyed school and I enjoyed hard work. Not to mention it was the best time-killer ever created (at least to me).

"Well then, Emeric, you will be joining the seventh years." I heard shuffling before I was handed a piece of parchment. My guess it was a schedule. The first thing I could think to do was bow slightly to the man, who I was sure was giving me a gentle smile. He seemed like a nice man, the soft-spoken type. I preferred that to how my father was, boisterous and loud. "Zank you." I said, smiling, and I felt Dumbledore grip my shoulder for a moment, before releasing. I nodded in return, before following suit of Madame Maxime and exiting Dumbledore's office. Well, this year was shaping up to be more interesting than I thought.

--

"Can you read zis to me?" I asked, handing the piece of parchment to Gabrielle. We sat next to each other in the Great Hall, as students began to settle in. It was time for the champion selection. I felt the girl take the parchment from between my fingers, pausing for a moment before reading. "Divination with Firenze on Mondays at ten, 'erbology with Sprout on Mondays and Wednesdays at one, Charms with Flitwick on Tuesdays and Fridays at ten-zirty, Defense Against ze Dark Arts with Moody on Tuesdays and Zursdays at two, Potions with Snape on Wednesdays and Fridays at two, and Transfiguration with McGonagall on Zursdays at ten."

"Is zat all it says?" I asked. We were trying to use English so we wouldn't accidentally slip into French while having a conversation with someone who couldn't understand us. _"Oui."_ Clearly, it wasn't working with Gabrielle. She continued to speak mostly French, I suppose she just didn't want to speak English. _"I have no idea how you're gonna find these classes, because I dunno where they are." She_ said, and I shrugged. "I will just 'ave to ask."

I knew the selection must've been starting because the students began to hush and Gabby stopped talking. I didn't speak, either, merely listened. I could hear the crackling of the flames in the goblet, and the soft poof as it spit out the first name. Dumbledore's voice came soon after. "The Durmstrang champion is…Viktor Krum!" Deep cheering erupted from on part of the room, this selection came as no surprise to me, and it certainly wasn't the one that I wanted to hear. It was an odd sensation, like I was worried but hoping at the same time. It was unsettling, and the dream I'd had the night before didn't help. I didn't want anyone to die in this tournament, especially not Fleur.

Another poof from the goblet of fire, and Dumbledore began speaking again. "The Beauxbatons champion is…" I didn't want it to be Fleur, but I did. Mostly, I was confused, and didn't know what I wanted. The only logical way to shut this out was to stop caring, but that was- "Fleur Delacour!" The announcement cut off my overworking mind, much to my relief and disappointment. Fleur had been chosen. I clapped, along with the rest of the Beauxbatons, but it was half-hearted. I was sure she was smug in this moment, felt on top of the world. She didn't have the same feeling as me, the feeling of dread. She wasn't scared, she was too damn proud to be scared. No, she was excited, and had no idea how I felt. Not like she'd ask, and it wasn't like I'd tell. She could take care of herself, I decided. I was just being stupid.

For the last time, the goblet made a sound as it spit out a piece of parchment. "And finally, the Hogwarts Champion is…Cedric Diggory!" The cheers were louder than for Krum or Fleur, probably because the majority of the school was cheering for Cedric. I clapped slightly, even less than I did for Fleur, but that wasn't just my school spirit. I was allowing my thoughts to get the best of me. Again. I was thinking so hard that I almost didn't notice Dumbledore's words, the poof that the goblet made, or hear the whispers from the students. Gabby poked me in the side, and as I retaliated, a confused headmaster spoke a name that we all knew well. "Harry Potter?" The whispers grew louder, there were no cheers or anything remotely happy. "Harry Potter?!" I heard footsteps, soon joined by others, moving away from my position. When they were gone, I turned to Gabby. "Do you 'ave any idea what just 'appened?"

_"Not a one."_ She replied. _"I mean, besides the fact that the goblet chose a fourth champion, I have no idea what's going on."_ I sighed, standing. I knew that everyone else was just sitting there, but I didn't really care. I felt horrible, like I might throw up, and I wasn't in the mood for just sitting in that room. "I'm going to go back to the carriage. See you tomorrow, Gabrielle." I exited the great hall, before putting a hand on my stomach. I really did feel horrid, but it wasn't because I was sick. No, it was the feeling I got when I was dreading something. It just didn't sit right with me that, of all names, Harry Potter's was the one to come out as the fourth champion. That just screamed that this was all rigged somehow. And now Fleur was in the middle of it.

I opened the door to the carriage, walking inside. It was quiet, all the students were still in the great hall, along with Madame Maxime. My room was the last door on the left, I knew it had a nameplate but that was of no use to me. I felt doorknobs until I reached the seventh. That was my room. I grasped the cool metal, turning it. It clicked slightly as I opened the door and stepped inside, shutting and locking it behind me. Not that such a simple act would keep anyone out, it was just habit. Sighing loudly, I collapsed onto my bed, not helping my stomach one bit. I rolled onto my back, kicking off my shoes, before just laying there to allow my stomach some peace.

I wished I could make the feeling of dread disappear, but it seemed impossible. A lot of things were not sitting right for me at Hogwarts, it was like my danger mode was constantly switched on. If not for myself, it was for someone else. I sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day, forcing my eyes shut. I didn't care how much I was bothered, I was going to sleep. I had class in the morning. Class would be nice, and would distract me. I wouldn't have to think about the tournament or Fleur or anything, just schoolwork and getting through the day. I didn't realize how sleepy I was, and within moments, I was fast asleep.

--

I yawned, rolling over with an arm outstretched. It woke me up right quick when all I felt was air, rather than the nightstand I had become accustomed to having to the left of my bed. However, I continued rolling, and before I knew it, my entire body slammed into something hard with a loud thud. Nothing like falling out of the bed to knock the grogginess out of you in the morning. "Ouch…" I muttered, standing. It was then when I remembered that I'd fallen asleep lying across my bed, so I'd rolled off the end just a second ago. Rubbing my injured side, I headed into the bathroom for a quick shower.

The water felt nice against my skin, I'd always enjoyed showers. It was an odd sensation for me, calming. Like it washed away the day before, although it only did so for the few minutes I was under the water. After that I went right back to worrying. I felt for the knobs, turning off the stream of water, before grabbing the towel off the towel rack and drying myself off. I didn't bother drying my hair any other way than by rubbing it with a towel, and as soon as I stepped out of the carriage (fully dressed, of course), I immediately regretted that decision. It was already cold outside, and my damp hair just made it worse. I shivered slightly, but ignored it as I hurried inside Hogwarts Castle.

By now, I knew the way to the main doors and the Great hall by heart, but didn't have a clue where anything else was. Today was Friday, which meant I had Charms at ten-thirty, after breakfast. I sighed, my stomach grumbling loudly in protest. I wanted to find where the hell Charms class was, but for now, I would have to quiet my empty stomach. I headed into the Great Hall, immediately getting an earful of chatter and the sounds of owls hooting and flying around. I walked straight down the hall, waiting for the feeling of a hand grabbing me. It came within moments, and the force pulled me into an empty spot at one of the long tables. This was how Gabrielle showed me where we were sitting that day, without words because words were useless in the morning for the young girl. Honestly, she wasn't a morning person.

"_Bonjour,_ Gabrielle." I said, trying to sound cheery. She merely slapped me on the chest, and soon after I heard a loud yawn and a grumble. "Sorry, I forgot. Do not talk to you in ze morning." I grabbed whatever food was closest to me (I think it was toast) and poured myself a glass of pumpkin juice. The stuff was horrid, but I drank it anyway. Not like there was much else to choose from. Munching on my toast, I felt Gabrielle nudge me in the side. "What?" I inquired softly. There was a pause from Gabrielle. "Nevermind…" I disregarded the nudge. She probably knew some gossip that she realized I wouldn't care about.

I finished my breakfast slowly, before standing and walking from the table, towards the exit. I knew I had no choice but to stop someone and ask, anyone. Ruffling my still-damp hair, I heard a voice from my left. "You need help?" A boy asked, clearly he was addressing me. No shock, since I was just standing there and looking like an idiot while trying to work up the courage to ask someone where the Charms class was. "_Oui_, I do…" Now I felt even worse, but the guy seemed nice enough. "Do you know where ze Charms class is 'eld?" I got the impression that he was smiling at me. "Yeah, you got Charms with Flitwick at ten-thirty?" I nodded. "Me too! I'll show you there, no problem." That was easy.

I heard him say goodbye to his friends, before beckoning me with a simple 'come on!' Concentrating on his footsteps, I followed him up stairs, down hallways, it seemed like we were walking for a while. "Well, here we are." He said. "I'm Cedric Diggory, by the way." Ah, so that's who he was. Guess he was as nice as everyone said. Extending a hand, I replied with my name. "Emeric Clare. Nice to meet you, and zanks for ze directions." We shook hands, and he laughed lightly. "Like I said, no problem!" Other students were beginning to enter the classroom, so I figured it was time to sit down. Seeing how Cedric was the only one I knew (so far), I sat down next to him. He didn't seem to mind.

The classroom filled quickly, and everyone seemed to be early, because there was no teacher. I merely sat and waited, drumming my fingers on the tabletop. Well, until something interesting happened. "Sorry zat I am-" A girl's voice drifted from the doorway, one I knew all to well. She must've realized that she wasn't late, because she stopped talking. Moments later, that same figure dropped into the seat next to me. "_Bonjour_, Fleur." I greeted her. _"It was until I came here!" _She snapped back in French. I threw up my hands in defeat and said nothing else, in order not to anger the part-veela.

Moments later, the pupils hushed, and I figured that meant the arrival of our professor. I listened keenly, arms crossed against my chest firmly. I hadn't even reached for my wand, and I wouldn't until I knew what we were practicing. Part of me knew I had to hold back, I always did in my later-years of school, or at least pretended I had trouble. I guessed that Charms was the counterpart to the Spells class I took throughout school, and I could remember how that was my final two years. Pure, utter torture. I was a showoff until the accident, it many ways it humbled and matured me. I realized that my behavior jeopardized everything, so I stopped. My mind grew into my talent, so to speak. I didn't hex every person that angered me anymore, in fact, I tried my hardest not to use magic. No one but me could quite understand why. Hell, even I didn't know why.

"I'm all sure you know what we're doing, but here's a quick refresher. Remember to say 'expecto patronum' very clearly, or else it won't work." It was just as I thought, we were studying something I'd known for a long time. Then again, I was two years older than the students in this class, but that really didn't have anything to do with it. 'Naturally gifted' is what they called me at Angefort, since I'd been able to cast simple spells since age four, when I'd first found my wand. My family traditions are a bit confusing, I just don't bother to explain them to most. I just stick it the word 'talented.' All my professors and peers seemed to take that easy, but that was back home.

I'd learned quickly that people weren't so tolerant here, and a lot of questions would be asked, especially with the odd feeling I was getting. Surely others had it too, the whole Harry Potter thing just didn't sit well. Now wasn't the time to think about it, because I realized that the rest of the class was practicing conjuring a patronus and I was sitting there doing nothing. I heard Fleur stifle a chuckle and I resisted the urge to glare at her, instead I wondered why she was laughing. That answer came quick enough.

"Mister Clare, is it?" I nodded at the professor's voice. The class had hushed, listening in on what he said to me. I wasn't intimidated, and maybe it was the air of arrogance that surrounded me that angered Flitwick. "Any particular reason you're not practicing? Are you above this?" Well, that struck a cord with me, I didn't like people mocking me in any way, shape, or form (even if it didn't seem like mocking to anyone else). "Actually, Monsieur Flitwick, I believe I am." I could've taken a humbler approach, but I just didn't feel like being belittled in front of the class by this man. Or maybe it had something to do with the girl sitting beside me. I didn't know, and I didn't care.

Lifting my right pant-leg, I curled my fingers around my wand, pulling it from the holster around my lower leg. The polished wood felt nice in my hand, it'd been a while since I'd even held it. Birch, a long fifteen inches, featuring a curvy design that was easy on the eyes (and in the hand). Not to mention the core was the hair of my one greatest ancestor (and Ange's namesake), Ange Lumiere I. I gripped the wand in my right hand, pointing slightly off to my right before speaking the incantation. "Expecto patronum!" And with a flick of my wrist, my patronus appeared.

For the longest time my patronus took the form a tiger, within the last few years it began to take the form of a bear, even before the accident it was so. I didn't need to be able to see it to know that it was still a bear. My guess was a black bear, since it was rather small. Yet, it was clearly large enough to make the room tense up a bit, and it didn't help when it shifted its weight to its hind legs, standing up on them merely to be intimidating. And with another flick, it was gone.

No one spoke, so I did. "I think you're insulting your students a bit, Monsieur Flitwick. Surely zey can cast more difficult spells than zis." Setting my wand down on the table-top, I re-crossed my arms, completely unaware of how this was going to come back and bite me. I got punished, of course, but my punishment wasn't detention. I merely had a write an essay on the history of Hogwarts. Must've insulted him, guess that was what I was going for, although probably not such a smart thing to do on my first day of class.

Potions went by quick enough, I was busy thinking of other things. Plus, I was a hopeless case when I came to me brewing a potion. As good as I was with spells, I was equally bad with potions. Not that I didn't still try, I just knew what the outcome would be. I had a good twelve years of potions experience under my belt, and nothing had ever changed. I learned my failure there off, couldn't be good at everything. I t just wouldn't be fair. Although, I was soon to meet a girl that was good at everything, and I would find myself wracking my brain to figure out how that was even allowed to naturally happen.

--

Sinking into a chair at the library, I let out a sigh, depositing the book that was Hogwarts: A History on the table in front of me. I was also equipped with my newly received bag, which was full of what every student would need. I grabbed some parchment, along with a quill and a bottle of ink, setting them out in front of me. Maybe Flitwick thought this would be difficult because I'm as blind as a bat. If that was the case, he'd made a horrible mistake. Before I enchanted the library book to read to me (and for my ears only), I basked in the utter silence. It was nice, after being around so many people all day. I could hear every noise and pinpoint the exact origin. Not what made it, but at least very close to where it came from. Not many people were in the library, I could tell, and they all respected the quiet like I did. It was actually kind of comforting, these people at least had one thing in common with me. I shook my head, chuckling lightly to myself. I could be completely ridiculous sometimes.

I muttered an incantation, pointing my wand at the book. It flipped open on the desk with a thud. A voice began reading to me, I was surprised to hear that it was a feminine voice. There weren't any boys that sounded like that, so I knew it had to be a female. Actually, her voice sounded a little familiar, I was hardly listening to the contents of the book when I managed to think of it. Baia. Something today must've reminded me of her without me realizing it, there was no other reason my spell would conjure this voice. It didn't hurt, like I'd expected it to. Maybe the wound had just healed, I'd lost her a long time ago. No, it hadn't healed, I'd just moved on like she'd want me to. Smiling lightly, I whispered, "repitae." The reading started over, known only to me.

For a while, I just sat there, soaking in information. And I mean it was a while. Luckily, I'd gotten enough to start writing my essay. I stopped the reading, before enchanting my quill to write what I said. I didn't have to say it loudly, my voice was as soft and quiet as it could go, but it must've echoed in the empty library. I'd managed to get my introduction done before a voice interrupted me. This wasn't just my head this time, and it certainly wasn't Baia. The scratching of the quill stopped, and it fell limp to the table with a soft click. "What are you doing?" The voice asked. It was a girl, judging from her voice she was younger than Fleur. Or maybe just nicer, I couldn't tell. Smiling, I looked in the girl's direction.

"Sorry, I did not mean to disturb you." She must've gotten it because she answered quickly. "No, no, you didn't!" We were talking in hushed voices, yet she still managed to get that out quicker than I'd ever heard. "I was just curious about what you were doing…" I shook my head softly, smile still intact. "Well, zis is what Monsieur Flitwick calls punishment. I call it writing practice."

"What did you do?" Surely all the kids in my class had been telling people, all students liked to gossip, but I figured that because she was younger she hadn't heard a thing. "Well, I acted like a stuck-up jerk to Monsieur Flitwick. And I managed to belittle 'im." I couldn't tell if the moment of silence was in shock or if she was repressing laughter. "Why?" She asked, and I shook my head. "Partly because ze way 'e was talking to me made me want to kick 'im. Ze other reason, I think I was showing off." I shrugged. "Felt good either way."

The girl continued to ask me questions, and I honestly didn't mind answering them. They were the simple questions, like why I was a boy and with Beauxbatons, where I went to school, my age. She seemed sweet, and the fact that she approached me was amazing. It was also amazing that I hadn't made an idiot of myself yet, probably because I wasn't attracted to her like that in the least bit. I only managed to screw things up that were promising opportunities. "I'm Hermione, by the way." She said, I replied with my name. There was a bit of an uncomfortable silence because we both didn't know what to do next. Did she leave? Did I say something? Social matters could be so confusing sometimes.

"Why don't you come sit with me at dinner? I think it's just about to start." I nodded, standing from the seat and quickly throwing my parchment, quill, ink, and book into the shoulder bag and slinging it across my shoulder. We exited the library, she didn't talk much to me and I wasn't really the kind to start conversation. I merely focused on her footsteps (they were quicker than mine, I probably towered over the poor girl), following her to the Great Hall. Chatter hit my ears, and I immediately missed the silence of the library. I even missed the soft conversation with Hermione. But, hell, at least I was making friends!

I sank into an empty spot next to Hermione at the Gryffindor table and was promptly introduced to her friends, Ron Weasley and (to my surprise) Harry Potter. They seemed nice enough, though Ron wasn't coming across as all that bright. Honestly, the Gryffindor table felt weird to me, maybe I was just used to sitting next to all girls, and hearing male conversations threw me off a bit. I stayed silent for most of the dinner, although Ron and Harry filled my plate with everything they said was good and I thanked them for it. I just wasn't in the mood to talk. I couldn't tell if it was from the new environment I'd been plunged into, or if it was from the familiar gaze that never left me the entire meal.

**Sorry you guys had to wait so long for this chapter, but I made it extra-long as a prize. Now go review, you know it's what fuels me to keep writing!**


	6. Chapter Six

La Fleur De La Lumiere

Chapter Six

_"If you keep staring like that you might set his clothes on fire…"_ I tore my eyes away from the dark-haired boy and instead focused my glare on Gabrielle. She shrugged at me, taking a bite of toast and swallowing before speaking again. _"I'm just worried for his safety, not to mention your sanity."_ I suppose that she had a point. It'd been a week since Emeric started sitting at the Gryffindor table with some bushy-haired girl and her friends, and every meal I glared at him, and every meal he ignored me. Some said it was no different than before, but it was! At least he was forced to pay at least a little attention to me before. Now he just sits with some children and completely ignores my existence. No doubt I would have to show him that I was still there, that I still hated him.

_"He seems happy, Fleur, just leave him alone."_ Gabrielle told me, before munching on her toast. In front of her was a newspaper, the Daily Prophet. No doubt it was mere gossip, I was lucky that I hadn't shown up in it, at least not majorly. It seemed the front page was almost always about Harry Potter. No surprise there. I sighed, only to jump at the squeal from the girl across from me. It wasn't particularly loud, I just wasn't used to her speaking much during meals, especially not breakfast. _"What?"_ My tone was softer with her than it was with Gabrielle. She'd always been nice to me, and was basically my only true friend at Beauxbatons.

_"Oh, it's just…umm…"_ Seraphine tucked a lock of fiery hair behind her ear, as an attempt to tame the curls and to give her a moment to think through how she was going to explain. She was normally very articulate when she spoke, but I suppose I didn't mark her as the squealing type, either. _"Well, my…girlfriend…"_ She paused and waited for my reaction. Of course, there wasn't much of one but annoyance. Everyone in school knew that she was dating a girl, no news there. _"…is coming. And staying."_ I nodded, and couldn't help but smile slightly at how excited she seemed to be. It was sweet, though I'd never admit it.

I wasn't really the kind for romance. All of it seemed fake to me, perhaps because of the way I was always treated by those of the opposite sex (and sometimes of the same). They all fell under my thrall, all were reduced to piles of unintelligent goo from a simple stare or an attempt at making conversation. I'd been okay with it, I'd come to terms with the fact that it was always going to be like that for me. I'd always have admirers, I'd always have jealous glares fixed on my back. I'd accepted that I'd never be able to have a sophisticated conversation, until I had one. Damn Emeric and his charming smile, his ability to not be affected by my thrall. But most of all, damn him for believing that his attraction was merely because of what I was and that my feelings were all lies.

It angered me to no end that he actually believed something so ridiculous when he was such a bright guy. I knew someone had suggested it, and that in a state of emotional confusion, he'd believed them. How else could he come up with me being part veela? Of course I was making a hell of a lot of assumptions about what he was thinking, but it was all I could do to keep myself sane. If I was Ice Queen, he certainly had to be Ice King. Not like that, though. I'd be Ice Queen of France, and he'd be king of somewhere else because I can't stand to see his face. Although I can't seem to stop staring. And now I'm rambling on about I guy I hate and thinking way too much about him, and that was stupid considering I had to concentrate on the first task that was a mere few weeks away.

I hadn't realized that I'd been absentmindedly munching on my eggs with eyes glazed over. However, my gaze still stayed relatively locked on him. Seraphine followed my eyes and giggled ever so slightly, snapping me out of my thoughts. _"What?"_ This time I asked with more force, my Ice Queen side coming out rather than my soft, caring side. _"Nothing, it's just so __blatantly__ obvious."_ Seems her mind had returned to her, the news that her lover was coming to be with her had settled in her mind. I focused my eyes on her, blue orbs sending piercing rays at her. She didn't seem to mind it. _"What's so obvious?"_ I asked, although I had an idea what was going to come out of her mouth. Gabrielle had already said it, along with a few other classmates who were looking for something to gossip about. _"You like him. Really like him."_

_"No way!"_ I knew I'd answered a little too quickly and with a little too much force, and part of me knew that wasn't the real truth. The real truth was that I didn't know what I felt for Emeric, I was highly confused but too proud to admit it. Of course, Seraphine could see right through my façade, I found it was nearly impossible to keep a damn thing from the girl. Her amber eyes were not piercing like mine, but they had the ability to peer into the soul of anyone. Not to mention she focused on psychology, hoping to get a job in profiling for the ministry, to help them understand all types of people. She could see through anything, even my lies.

_"Don't be stubborn, Fleur. I know the confusion you feel, I felt it too."_ She reached across the table, lightly grasping my wrist as a gesture of support. Within moments, I pulled from her grasp. _"It all gets bette__r after you admit that you're confused and try to sort things out."_ Damn Sera and her comforting words, she was only making me more conflicted! I wanted to sort things out with Emeric, but I was afraid of what I'd find out. _"I don't like him, not anymore. Plus, I have more important things to worry about __than__ boys."_

_"Of course, the tournament. How are things coming?"_ It was a simple question, but yet so difficult to answer. I decided to be truthful, she'd know if I lied, and I didn't want to have everything coming out of my mouth be dishonest. _"I haven't really done anything. I mean, we don't really know what to prepare for, so…" _I trailed off, and she nodded, red curls dislodging themselves from behind her ear. _"My only advice is be careful. I have a bad feeling about this whole thing." _

That was another thing I'd been hearing a lot of lately, that everyone had a bad feeling about this tournament. Gabrielle told me that even Emeric had said it. Someone wanted Harry Potter in this tournament, which meant nothing good. Despite all the organizers' good intentions, everyone was getting the feeling that this was going to turn out badly, even me. I just didn't want to think about it. I left my plate of eggs and stood, grabbing my bag. Muttering a quiet goodbye to Sera and Gabby, I left the Great Hall. Stares warmed my skin from every direction, from all but the one I wanted.

--

Dumbledore had ordered double-Defense Against the Dark Arts for all champions up until the first task, I felt that was wise. Plus, I never had to see Emeric, since the only class I had with him was Charms on Fridays, and Defense classes now cut that certain Charms class out. Plus, I enjoyed Defense, or at least I had. Professor Moody was a bit scary, but I'd expected him to be, being an ex-auror and all. I liked that he had the guts to actually show us dark magic rather than just explain it.

So, with a smile on my face, I entered Professor Moody's room, only to find Emeric sitting at a table in the front. Walking up to him, I didn't hesitate to slap him on the back of the head. _"That's my seat!"_ I hissed, _"and how the hell did you get here before me!"_ He at least had the decency to turn his face up at me, and I wish he hadn't, because I felt myself melting. His milky-green eyes, though they showed little, had that effect on me. I couldn't imagine what they were like before he was blinded, I'm sure he stopped girls in their tracks. Not to mention his features. I found myself very tempted to touch his cheek, ever so softly, just to get a feel of his porcelain skin. But I suppressed these sudden urges and the weakness in my knees as he replied.

_"That was completely __unnecessary__, and I have longer legs than you."_ He answered with a certain bitterness laced with annoyance in his voice, something that was rarely shown, an emotion. So, he hated me, there was a shocker. "For your information, zat is your seat." He pointed to the seat at his right, the only other one at the two-person table. "Oh yeah, says who?"

"I do, Miss Delacour, now sit before I decide to make you!" Professor Moody's harsh voice nearly made me jump, and I quickly took my seat next to Emeric. _"I hate you."_ I mumbled to him, and he crossed his arms. _"Right back at you."_ Was his reply. For some reason, it hurt me that he said so. I knew he hated me, I could feel it, hence the reason he never spoke to me unless he had to. But still, just him outright telling me that he hated me was horrible. It made me feel completely alone, smashed to pieces. I hated it, but I my pride picked me up and fixed me, as usual.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why Mister Clare is here, and that is because I have a special, hands on lesson for you all today." The seventh years all stiffened, even the Durmstrang boys. Hands on with Moody didn't sound good, it sounded painful. "Stand, Mister Clare." I watched as Emeric stood, moving into the pathway between tables.

"You're quickly building a reputation here, I've heard some interesting things from other teachers, especially Flitwick. Good at charms, are you?" Emeric responded with a curt nod. "Yes, exceptional." Apparently, he'd just stopped pretending that he wasn't good with his wand, it was useless after he showed off on his first day. I had no idea that reputation could spread so quickly, he probably acted like an ass in his other classes, too.

"You're good in offense, lets see if you're good in defense. _Imperio!_" There was a collective gasp (even from me) as we watched Moody cast an unforgivable curse on Emeric. Nothing seemed to really be happening, not at first, but I still clenched my hands into fists under the table, knuckles turning white. My heart felt like it was going to burst from my chest. It wasn't just because it was Emeric, it was the fact that Professor Moody had cast such a spell on a student!

I watched in horror as Emeric's face contorted, not in pain, but in struggle. He was fighting against the curse. He raised an arm with sudden force, like he was going to slap himself, but stopped midway as suddenly as he moved. His hand slowly made a fist, I found myself transfixed as Emeric forced the unruly limb back down at his side. Finally, Moody released the curse and the class took a collective breath, along with Emeric. Professor Moody clapped him on the back, as Emeric leaned over his side of the table, trying to catch his breath. I noticed a thin layer of sweat glistening on his brow.

"Good job, boy! See that! He can fight it!" Moody's voice was boisterous, and I couldn't help but let fear creep into my mind as he spoke again. "Lets see if you all can live up to his example! Miss Delacour, if you please." I stood, forcing myself not to shake, walking over in front of Moody. I'd released my clenched fists, but there were still nail-marks on my palm where I'd had my fingers curled. "_Imperio!_"

It was an odd feeling, really, like weightlessness. My mind blanked, I felt almost like I was having an out-of-body experience, like I was floating on a cloud. _'Dance'_ my mind told me, bringing me back to what I was supposed to be doing. _'Dance?'_ I was confused, but it was beginning to seem like a good idea. Completely unaware of my surrounding, I found myself dancing, and after a long moment, I fell from my cloud. _"Merde!"_ I muttered, Moody told me to return to my seat. Gladly, I obeyed, completely humiliated. How come Emeric could fight the Imperius curse, but not me? I was stronger than him, it just didn't make sense.

_"How do you feel?"_ His voice was abnormally soft, oddly caring, enough so that it took me a moment to recognize who was speaking. I blinked, looking at the boy to my left. He wasn't looking at me, but it was he who spoke. _"Cold. And embarrassed."_ I answered with the truth, without any sarcasm or wit, mostly because I was too confused by him to think of anything good to say. _"Sorry."_ Again, I could think of nothing to say, so I just fell silent.

My eyes watched as Moody continued to place the Imperious curse on students, but I wasn't really paying attention. Emeric had just asked me if I was okay, and it sounded like he was worried, at least slightly. That managed to worry me, and the fact that he'd said sorry. What did he have to be sorry about? Nothing, at least not about what had just happened, unless that was a subtle apology for everything, which I seriously doubted. He really did confuse me, and I don't think I could ever change that, no matter how much help I got.

--

Nervousness ate at me, I couldn't help the biting cold that attacked every corner of my brain. At least the other three champions seemed just as nervous as me. I just didn't want to show it. Damn pride. I wouldn't have been so nervous if Madame Maxime hadn't told me what we were doing for the first task. Dragons. Of course, it had to be one of the largest, most fierce beasts in the magical world. And I had to fight one. My fingers fumble d at the zipper of my jacket, pulling it all the way up to my neck. It was cold, but I don't think that it was due to the weather.

Crossing my arms across my chest, I tucked my numb fingers away, trying to stay calm and just concentrate on what I was going to do. This wouldn't be that bad, and they wouldn't let anything happen to us, right? I mean, that's just ridiculous. Vaguely, I could hear the other champions talking. Cedric and Viktor were speaking in hushed voices, and Harry was talking to one of his friends. I, however, didn't have anyone to talk to. I was the outcast. It wasn't the first time.

It seemed like hours before Mr. Crouch entered the tent, along with the heads of each school. We were directed into a close circle (rather harshly, I might add), our headmasters standing behind us. "Now, Miss Delacour, if you please." Mr. Crouch held open a velvet bag. Inside, I could hear tiny roars, and a little puff of smoke emitted from the bag. I gave him a pointed look, before concentrating on the bag. Slowly, I lowered my hand in, afraid of what I might find. Finally, I curled my fingers in, trapping one of the objects in the bag. I pulled my hand out, the object was squirming and trying to get out, so I opened my hand to find a tiny dragon resting on my palm. It was green in color, and didn't seem particularly dangerous until it shot a small jet of fire at me.

Regrettably, I jumped, and I heard a snigger come from Viktor Krum. I didn't shoot him a trademark glare, though, it just didn't seem worth it at the moment. I mean, I was about to battle a dragon. "The Welsh Green, very good…" Mr. Crouch said, before moving on to the other champions. I wasn't listening, however, I was busy focusing on the small dragon that had dug its claws into my padded gloves. It growled at me, being as threatening as it could in its tiny form. I wasn't particularly scared of this small dragon, but I knew that I was soon to be going up against its much larger counterpart. At least I was number two, and I took as much comfort from that as I could as a cannon fired and Cedric Diggory entered the ring.

--

We weren't allowed to watch Cedric perform his task, so we all just sat in uncomfortable silence inside the tent. I could hear roars from the dragon, the large animal stomping around, and gasps from the crowd. It bothered me, not knowing what was happening. I messed with my fingers and my jacket, anything to avoid thinking about the task. My heart was fluttering, and the adrenaline was already pumping. This is what I signed up for, this is what I wanted to do. My gaze darted to Harry, he seemed even more nervous than me. After all, he hadn't signed up for this. In my heart I knew he hadn't. I actually felt bad for him, but at least the field had been fairly leveled for this task.

Dumbledore's booming voice spoke, Cedric had gotten his egg after what seemed like an eternity. I didn't stand, I merely looked at my hands, icy orbs focused on the pale skin of my fingers. My body seemed to go numb, I was partially thankful, at least I wouldn't feel it if the dragon got me. My eyes shut quickly, and I forced myself to calm down. Taking deep breaths, I heard Dumbledore call my name, saying I could start at the sound of the cannon. Moments later, it fired, but I didn't stand.

I could feel Harry and Viktor's eyes on me, not like the normal stares I got. I, the Ice Queen, was horribly nervous, enough that I was shaking. I'd never wavered before, not even in Defense Against the Dark Arts. It must've seemed odd, and it brought a tiny smile to my lips. Without thinking, I stood, my legs carrying me to the tent flap, my wand gripped tight in my right hand. Swallowing hard, I stepped out into the ring to be met by cheers. They weren't just from Beauxbatons, either, they were from all schools.

For a moment, my eyes scanned the crowd, until they fell upon my friend, my sister, and the one that I loathed. However, I found myself not despising him like I normally did. I don't know why, maybe because he looked scared. But why? He didn't care about me, and I didn't care about him. It was simple, it had been for a while, but he was beginning to complicate things once again. That seemed to be his talent. My gaze shifted to my sister, she seemed to be yelling something at me while pointing to my left. I followed her line, finding myself a hell of a lot closer to my dragon than I wanted to be.

It opened its mouth, baring its teeth before suddenly diving in, hoping to catch its lunch. I lunged to my right, narrowly avoiding the jagged teeth which destroyed the rock I'd been standing on a moment before. Scrambling up, I ran backwards, trying to get a bit of distance between the creature and myself. Behind my enemy, I saw a glint of gold, the egg we were meant to capture, surrounded by real dragon eggs. No wonder the dragon was so angry, I'd stepped into her territory and was threatening her eggs.

My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest as I quickly darted behind a boulder, the stone shielding me from hot fire. My back was pressed against it, but I soon had to move away, as the heat from the fire made it too unbearable. The dragon let up, and I stood, finally remembering what my plan was. I raised my wand, pointing it at the angered dragon. I murmured an incantation and with a swish of my wand, I hit the dragon with a sleeping charm. It was the strongest one in existence, and had taken me nearly the entire month to master. Luckily, the dragon's eyes began to droop, and it laid down on the ground, falling into a deep sleep.

I let out the breath I didn't realize I'd been holding, before moving from my spot. I walked lightly, just in case, I didn't want to wake the dragon. However, I found myself not really focusing on what I was doing, instead I was staring into the crowd once more. Even from where I was, I see that Emeric was gripping Gabrielle's arm and they were speaking rapidly, probably she was telling him what was going on. He didn't seem to calm down, though, and he didn't let go of my sister's arm. I grinned slightly, before hearing a small snort from the dragon. I was so going to kill Emeric after this.

Once again, I found myself a lot closer to the dragon's head than I ever wanted to be, and I dashed towards the egg as the dragon snorted again. This time it was a bit more dangerous than before, as fire emitted from the beast's nostrils, licking at my left leg along with catching my skirt on fire. _"Merde!"_ I yelled, still running to get past the dragon's head. _"Aguamenti!"_ I pointed my wand at my skirt, sending a jet of water that quickly doused the flames. It still felt as if I was on fire, surely I was burned.

With every step, pain erupted in my left leg, and I had a slight limp. My breathing was deep and all I could hear was my own heartbeat, it drowned out everything. I had to keep going, I had to get the egg, then it would all be over. Jumping over one rock and darting around another, I reached the nest. I reached out, grabbing the egg. I was sure the thing was made of solid ice, it burned my fingers much like the fire had licked my leg. There was scrambling, trainers coming to take away the dragon, but that's all I saw before I collapsed. I was completely spent.

It didn't seem like I'd done much, but the adrenaline combined with lack of sleep and nervousness really took a toll, not to mention I'd been hurt. But, for now, I merely laid on the cold ground, hugging the golden egg to my chest as tightly as I could. Shutting my eyes, I heard someone scramble up to me. "Fleur?" It was an adult voice, I opened my eyes to find myself staring at a medic. "I'm fine." My voice cracked, betraying me. Of course I wasn't fine! A good majority of my left leg was burned, and the pain was biting at me. Not to mention it was hard to make my body work, I desperately wanted to just lay there, but I knew I couldn't. The other champions still had to face their dragons, I had to get up.

Sitting up, I didn't let up my grip on the egg. The medic helped me stand, supporting my left side so I didn't have to put all my weight on my left leg. I wish I could say I didn't need it, but I really did. I probably would've collapsed again without the help. I transferred the egg under my right arm, and gripped across the man's shoulders with my left, fingers digging into his coat. We walked to the medical tent, where he had me sit on a bed while he got Madam Pomfrey.

As I calmed, adrenaline was replaced with cold. A freezing, biting cold, just as bad as the pain in my leg. I forced myself to set down my egg, instead wrapping my arms around myself and using them as a way to retain what little body heat I had. Moments later, Madam Pomfrey came to where I was sitting. I felt ashamed that she could see me when I felt so weak. My energy was all but gone, and I was shivering horribly. And I couldn't stop it.

So, I didn't resist as she forced me to drink a bitter potion that burned my throat, and I didn't resist as she applied a cooling ointment to my burn and wrapped it with a soft cloth. Instead of resisting, I focused on blocking the pain out of my mind, and it was easy enough for a while. Until he walked in.

Emeric ducked into the tent, followed by Gabrielle and Seraphine. They all seemed worried, but Emeric more than the girls. Anger gripped me, blocking out the pain better than anything Madam Pomfrey could give me. I was covered with a thick blanket and had been laying back on the reclined bed, but sat up as they entered. Before anyone else could say anything, Emeric spoke.

_"Are you okay?"_ He asked quickly, hurrying over to my bedside. I glared at him, hoping he could feel the anger radiating off me. _"Well, I was, until you decided to be distracting!"_ It was true, I'd only messed up because I'd been concentrating on him. He shot me a look of confusion, and I retorted with another furious statement. "_I would've done that task perfectly had it not been for you! You're the reason I'm hurt!"_ He didn't say anything, merely shrunk away. _"Just leave! All of you!"_

For once, Emeric seemed open and vulnerable, the way I felt right in that moment. Yet, he handled it differently. He didn't get angry and shoot words back at me, he just curled up, looking like a hurt puppy. Nothing like the look he gave me to make feel bad. "Fine…" He mumbled, turning and walking out of the tent. Gabby gave me a disapproving look, before following after him. Seraphine actually shot me a smile. _"You did good, you know."_ I nodded, before mumbling, _"Thanks…"_

I soon realized what the potion was for. My eyes grew heavy, until I just couldn't keep them open any longer. Darkness took over my vision and my mind numbed. All I could keep thinking was that I was sorry. I was sorry for everything that I did, and for being such a bitch. I was sorry for being the ice queen and for yelling at the few people who actually cared about me. I was sorry, but I'd never apologize. Not ever.

**Ah, it's done!**** You know the drill, go review and make me happy!**


	7. Chapter Seven

**I am so sorry this took so long to get written! School's started again, so I've been either busy or completely brain-dead. However, I present to you chapter seven!**

La Fleur De La Lumiere

Chapter Seven

_A blood-__curdling__ scream pierces my ears. _

_Everything is __chaos;__ the darkness of the house seems to engulf me. I can hardly see a foot in front of me, but I don't care. I just run towards the scream. I trip over my own feet, slamming into the hardwood floor with a crashing thud, but I don't feel any pain. My heart races wildly as I stand, taking off in the direction of the noise. The sounds of fighting grow louder, brilliant flashes of colored light blind me more than the darkness. The same scream echoes from the room to my right, my hands grip the door handle, twisting it and throwing the door open. _

_The scene is __grotesque;__ the dim light from the nightlight allows me to see. A man stands over the bed of my cousin, towering far over me, but there's no time to be scared. Raising my wand, I grip tightly with sweaty fingers despite the bitter cold that attacked the room. __**"Stupefy!"**__ I yell, but the spell seems to do nothing but alert the man to my presence. He turns from my cousin, even more menacing from the front than from behind. My eyes dart to the other bed, the scream must've come from her. The white sheets were painted a deep crimson. __**"Alice?!"**__ I should've focused on the man, I should've, but I made a mistake. _

_Blinding hot pain __erupts__ in my left shoulder, __clouding my senses. I grope with my right hand, feeling the handle of something protruding from the spot. The pain __sprea__ds; I feel it all over my body __now. The man does nothing for a moment, but the room soon fills with his boisterous laughter. Why was he entertained? I realize that I'm __lying__ on the floor, staring at the shadow on the ceiling. He steps closer to me, footfalls heavy. I raise my wand, ignoring the pain. I had to be strong, he would hurt Alexius too if I wasn't strong. I stand once more, to face him. He chuckles. _

_**"What are you going to do, little boy? You cannot hurt me!" **__I make eye contact, my furious green orbs locking with his. The potion he took caused his eyes to turn white, only a shade darker than the whites of his eyes, and with a ring of gray around the iris. I knew what he was, I just didn't understand. He was supposed to be on our side! __**"Why are**____**why are you d-doing this?"**__ The words sound so feeble when I want to sound strong, looking down my wand arm I see that I am shaking. A sticky wetness coats my front, my shirt feels heavy. My whole body feels heavy. The man doesn't answer me, he just laughs once more. _

___I break my gaze, looking at the twins. Alexius was fully __awake;__ he cradled Alice to his chest. He was stained crimson, I had the right mind to look down and realize I was too. He was crying, but I wouldn't cry. I had to fight for them, so Alice would be okay, so he couldn't hurt them again. I force my hand to steady as he comes closer to me, __he was so tall, but I wasn't afraid. I was angry. _

___Thick fingers reach down, grabbing the handle of the knife and fiercely pulling. A worse pain numbs my __body;__ I hear myself gasp but __can't__ feel it. My vision blurs, I can no longer see straight, I __can't__ see the man. Blinking furiously, I turn faster than I thought I could. He'd merely moved past me, heading for the door. Just as his fingers reach the knob, someone push__e__s against it, and the man jumps back. The girl in the door was easy recognizable, even though I could barely see her. Her aura was unique. Tears moisten my eyes, the pain bites at my mind. My hand moves and wipes them away, replacing the wetness with another kind. I don't care, but I've missed something. They were just standing there. _

___And then she slumped over. _

___The sound of flesh on wood echoed in my mind, all I could do was watch in horror. A stain appears on her white nightshirt, and it continues to grow. It looks black in the darkness, but I knew what it was. I knew. Her eyes were still open, I connected with them. There was nothing. No life, no __mischievous__ gleam, no loving look. They were completely empty. Tears prick at the back of my eyes, I allow them to fall. _

___**"Worthless girl, you should've stayed out of my way." **_

___His deep voice hit my ears, words burning into my brain. __Raising my wand, I know where my target was, he hadn't moved. __He'd said I couldn't hurt him, he was wrong. Anger grips me, burning worse than the pain. I'm shaking again, but I don't care. I __don't__ care that I'm bleeding, and I even stopped caring about my cousins. She was __dead;__ she was dead because of him. So I scream the first incantation that comes to mind. _

___**"Avada Kedavra!"**_

**-**** - -**_**  
**_

A gentle sigh escaped my lips. That damn dream was truly back again, as bad as it was before. I thought I'd really gotten rid of it for good, I mean, I hadn't had it in such a long time. I lifted the bucket I gripped in my right hand, filled to the brim with only the finest horse feed, dumping the contents into a large trough. It was repetitive when I had to feed them, but I didn't mind, normally, it got my mind off of things. Apparently I wasn't to be that lucky this time.

I pulled my wand from its place around my ankle and pointed it into another large trough, this one for water. _"Aguamenti."_ I muttered lightly, a stream of cool water emitting from my wand, quickly filling the trough. I smiled as I listened to the horses beginning to eat, leaning back against the fence I'd transfigured from the grass when we first reached Hogwarts. Despite all the worries I had and the cold feeling that gripped my heart, I managed to find a bit of serenity in listening to the horses. My lips parted, exhaling warm air. I knew that it greeting the outside world as a misty fog, it was a chilly enough morning.

I don't know exactly how long I merely stood, taking in the world around me as best I could. Yet, it was time to go get ready, students would be waking soon and I desperately needed a warm shower before breakfast. My footsteps were close to silent as I slipped into the carriage and walked to the last room on the left. No one else seemed to be awake yet, or they were just being very quiet about their morning business. I shut the door to my room behind me, locking it in a very muggle way, before heading over to the bathroom. That door was shut, aswell, before I began to strip down.

The cold nipped at my body, apparently Madame Maxime didn't believe in heating the carriage, it was nearly as cold in here as outside. The stone floors didn't exactly help; it felt like I was standing on a block of ice. Quickly, I turned the handle for hot water, almost literally jumping under it. I didn't care that the water was boiling hot (I'd neglected the cold handle), it felt nice. It took away the cold feeling, even the one that held me so tightly in its grasp. Still, there was only so long I could spend in the shower. I turned the handle in the opposite direction, the water abruptly disappearing. Already, I began to feel cold once more.

I dried off with a soft towel, the cloth absorbing the water that slicked my skin. There was no need to, but I wrapped the towel around myself as I exited the bathroom, walking over to my closet where I had set out my outfit for the day. I was thankful for the small amount of warmth my clothing trapped close to my skin, I was absolutely freezing. I started buttoning my collared shirt, shivering fingers making it a tad difficult to thread the plastic through the holes. My fingers lightly brushed a raised line of skin, making me freeze.

Memories flooded me, nearly painful in their clarity. The last thing I wanted to remember was that night, the absolute last thing. I took a moment to trace the line, the skin raised from the rest of my chest. It was about two and a half inches long, and was situated directly above my heart. A centimeter lower and I'd have been dead on that night. But I wasn't.

I pressed my palm flat across the scar, feeling the dull thud of my heart as it pounded in my chest. I shut my eyes, not wanting to give in to the temptation of crying, and I did not remove my hand. However, the longer I continued to hold it there, fully aware of my beating heart, the harder it was to keep from crying. So, being the weak kid I am, I slipped away from my defenses. Tears rolled from my eyes in steady streams, but I was silent. I was shaking, but still silent. And I didn't move my hand. It didn't seem appropriate, but I smiled, a smile that was nearly a grin. The fact of the matter was that I was still alive, she was dead and I was alive, and Alice was alive. We'd lost many that night, but just as many were still alive and well. Thriving. And yet here I was, wallowing in something that happened thirteen years ago. I didn't feel all that ashamed until I realized why I cried and why dreams continued to torment me.

Guilt.

And it wasn't even guilt that my sister had died, or that so many members of my family had died. I felt guilty because I'd killed a man that night. A man that deserved it. And yet, I still felt sorry because I knew that he had a family. A wife and kids and parents and siblings that all missed him. I knew that we'd lost many on that night, many that we were close to and loved, but so did they. They suffered the same pain that we did. It affirmed the fact that violence and fighting helped no one. That's part of the reason why none of my cousins or I hate the Fonce anymore, and they don't really hate us. And we don't hate the Fureurs, either, but it's just like with the Fonce. They attack us, we'll fight back. They threaten us, we'll fight. They attack someone, we'll defend. Because we must. We all just keep doing our jobs because we must.

Including me.

I'll continue to hold the sphere for the rest of my life, that's a fact that will not ever change. I'm loyal and honorable, so I'll keep doing my job, and so will the others. We'll all live happy lives under the burden of the family Lumiere, knowing that there are others living just like us. They may have different thoughts and ideas than us, but their experiences were similar, and that was enough to give us a similarity. A common, unchanging bond.

- - -

"Are you alright? You haven't said a word all morning." I smiled in Hermione's direction, setting down my fork. I had barely touched my food; I honestly just wasn't hungry after the night before. Nodding gently, I answered, "Oui, I am fine. A bit tired." That was nearly completely honest. Sort of. Oh well, it wasn't exactly something I could explain to her, or to anyone that wasn't there that night, for that matter. So, instead, I was just fine.

What didn't help my slightly melancholy mood was that not-so-subtle stare that had returned to the back of my head. Well, seems Fleur was out of the hospital wing, I hadn't bothered to check on her after the first task. If she wanted me too, she shouldn't have been so rude. I wouldn't make the mistake of caring about her again, and I was going to be sure to tell her exactly what I thought. The week before had been spent pondering, contemplating exactly what I was going to say to her. I was angry, but it was hard to put my feelings into coherent words. Feelings seemed to be tricky like that.

I finished breakfast and was preparing to exit the Great Hall when I was stopped by a simple question. "Who's that?" A male voice around me asked, must've been another Gryffindor since I didn't recognize it. Settling back into my seat, I directed a question to Hermione. "Do you know who it is?" I asked, and she replied in a low voice. "No idea, but she looks to be from Beauxbatons." It was a well-known fact that Hermione did not like the Beauxbatons girls, so I didn't really expect her to recognize whoever it was.

It took a good five or more minutes for the chaos of a million conversations to return to the Great Hall, I supposed the girl had sat down. I stabbed a piece of sausage that I had put on my plate, bringing to up to my mouth, munching a bit. Just as I began to space off, I felt someone seat themselves directly on my lap, grabbing the fork out of my hand. "Umm…" Was all I managed to get out, before getting a whack on the top of the head. "Don't play with your food, Em!" I sighed, but a grin pulled at my lips. "Of course, only you would sit on my lap for no reason…" I said, and I felt the girl giggle slightly. "Of course."

Ron, Harry, and Hermione had said nothing this whole time, so I turned my attention to them. "Well, this is Alice. Alice, meet 'Arry, Ron, and 'Ermione." I gestured across the table to the trio, and they all gave half-hearted greetings. "She's my cousin. Nothing weird is going on. Not really." I turned to Alice. _"Why are you here?"_ I asked, feeling her shrug. _"I was so depressed that I couldn't see Seraphine this whole year that mom and dad sent me here…"_

_"Don't be stupid, you haven't told you parents." _

_"Have to!" _

_"No, you haven't. I know you haven't because they haven't disowned you yet. So why are you really here?"_ Alice groaned. _"Fine, you win. I'm here to look after you."_ Her tone suddenly turned serious. "_A lot of crap has been going on lately, and everyone's a bit scared, especially for you._" Well, that's why she got serious. _"What kind of crap?"_ I asked as Alice slid off my lap into a spot to my right. _"They tried to kidnap Ophelia, for one, and the new List came out. Plus, Faust's been having really bad dreams. Every night."_

_"What?! No one thought it would be good to tell me this?!" _

_"We didn't want to worry you! You know how you get…" _

_"And for good reason, Fureurs aren't people to mess with!" _

_"I know, but considering the List, it was better not to say anything…" _

_"Who's on it?" _

_"I don't know, honestly." _

_"Alice!" _

_"Fine! Well, all of us, same as always, and…um…Fleur…basically all the Delacours…the Grangers-"_ Promptly, I covered her mouth, both confusing and angering her. _"You're the one who asked!"_ Leaning in, I whispered in her ear. _"That's Hermione Granger. She probably looks confused because we just mentioned her family. How the hell do they even know that I'm friends with her?!"_

_"That's what scared everyone. They see everywhere now, even inside this place…"_

It felt like I was being watched, but not by Fleur this time. No, this was a different gaze. Cold, heartless, ruthless, vile. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. This definitely wasn't Fleur, it was far too evil to be her. The hatred and anger put into that gaze was amazing, I'd never felt anything like it before…no, that was a lie. I'd felt the same gaze once before. On that night.

Without really thinking, I raised a hand, pressing my palm flat against Alice's chest, over her heart. Even under her uniform I could feel the scar, or perhaps I'd just memorized it by now. After a moment, I felt her do the same to me, her hand warm against my suddenly cold frame. We stayed like that for a long moment, I took comfort in knowing that she knew what I was going through. The dreams, the pain, the numbness. She went through it with me. Still, she couldn't understand how I felt with that gaze on me, how the cold returned as I pulled away. She couldn't understand that. No one could.

But me.

- - -

"Why were you two talking about me at breakfast?" The harshness of Hermione's tone made me jump out of my chair, I instantly turned towards her. "What do you mean?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. "I heard her say my name, and Fleur's too, what were you talking about?" Gently, I shut my book, shaking my head. Lightly, I chuckled. "It was nothing, Alice was just speaking of very distinguished witches and wizards, and the Delacours along with your family came up."

"My parents are muggles."

"Yes…What?"

"Don't lie to me, what were you really talking about?" I sighed, slouching back in my chair. For a moment I just sat, and she waited patiently, though her anger seemed to diffuse through the room. "It's nothing, really, just a list we-my family-get…" I finally spoke, slowly, trying to think of an easy way to phrase it. "A list of people who could potentially be in danger…" I was mostly honest, I found it hard to lie to Hermione. At least in that moment.

"And my parents fit into this how…?" Slowly, I stood from my chair, facing Hermione. "Because you're friends with 'Arry Potter. Lots of people would murder you and your family just for that. And before you ask, it's my family's duty to stop it."

"But-"

"'Ermione, please, don't ask anymore questions. Just don't." A silence fell between us, in the library it seemed awfully quiet, painfully so. So, I asked the first thing that came to mind.

"'Ermione, will you go to the Yule Ball with me?" Sure, that was a bit hasty, the ball had only just been announced a few days ago, but it was good to get a head start on things. Or maybe I'd just run out of things to say. No, not likely, I had actually been thinking of asking Hermione. After all, she was sweet and lovely (not to mention incredibly brilliant), all of which were good traits in a person. I liked her. Maybe not completely in that way, but I certainly did like her.

And, the silence was stunned.

Okay, there were a lot of reasons for her to say no. She had friends that she'd known for longer than me, guy friends, and I was years older than her. I probably shouldn't even be going to the dance considering I wasn't even really a student, and I had never really shown any romantic interest in her before. So, her answer was a bit surprising.

"Yes, I'll go with you."

- - -

It was late by the time I returned to the carriage, but I wasn't really surprised to see that one was still awake. Walking into the gathering room, I plopped into one of the comfy armchairs. The room was warm from the crackling fire, it was comforting. For a while, I just sat in silence. Comfortable silence.

_"I asked Hermione to the Yule Ball."_ The other in the room chuckled, I knew it was Alice from the moment I walked in. She was positively radiant, more so than at breakfast. _"And I asked Seraphine, so we both have dates."_ She spoke quietly, so I lowered my tone along with her. A soft mew of content came from her spot in the room, so that was why she was being quiet for once. _"You're happy to be back, I take it?"_ It was sweet, really, the two of them. They'd had trouble in the beginning (didn't everyone?), but now they were happy. Blissful, actually. I envied them.

_"I could hardly contain myself this morning…Sera didn't want me doing anything in public, not yet anyway. She doesn't trust them."_ And for good reason, the students at Hogwarts didn't seem as open as what we were used to. _"I can't blame her, really."_ Alice sighed. _"Sadly, neither can I…"_ The conversation just seemed to drop off for a while.

_"You know everything's going to be okay, right?"_

I said nothing.

I knew, though Alice was happy, she was scared. With the resurfacing of the Fureurs, things had just gotten a whole lot more dangerous. Not only for her, but for Seraphine, too. The Fureurs were like a sickness, they spread like wildfire. To get to you, they'd gladly kill all your family and all your friends. To prolong suffering, so they said. To teach a lesson. I believed it was just because they liked killing. Their twisted ways put everyone in danger, and as Lumiere we had a choice: Be happy and terrified or cold and alone. I tried to be alone, it never worked. But I wasn't happy either. I didn't have someone like Alice did, someone I could tell everything to. Alice was close, but she was like a sister, she couldn't give me the love I wanted.

Needed.

There was no use on dwelling on what I didn't have, so I just stopped and took Alice's words to heart instead. Everything was going to be alright, no matter how hard things got along the way. In the end, when the fighting was all over, everything would be just like it was before.

How naïve.

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	8. Chapter Eight

**A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait on this chapter, guys, but I've been really busy with school and I hit a point of writer's block with this story. Luckily, I think I'm over it now, so expect chapters more rapidly!**

La Fleur De La Lumiere

Chapter Eight

It was a little hard for me to believe that Emeric got a date before I did.

I mean, I was Fleur Delacour, a quarter-Veela beauty! No one had even asked me at the point when I poked fun at Emeric. He'd said something about how I hurt his feelings, how he didn't like me at all anymore, and that's when I said this was all just going to lead up to him asking me to the ball. Well, it didn't. Instead, he'd merely said he already had a date, and walked away. I really wasn't expecting his date to be a little girl.

Okay, so Hermione Granger technically wasn't little, but compared to Emeric she seemed like a kid. She was a kid. Maybe that's what he liked, and that's why he didn't like me. That made sense. Although, I'd rather go with someone like Emeric than with my current date. Roger Davies was nice enough, but he didn't take his focus off my chest long enough to hear a word I was saying to him. At least he managed to look dignified as we opened the ball, but it was all downhill from there.

We continued to dance to the sound of the orchestra, but Roger just did not loosen up. It was much like he was cold. If there was one thing you needed to dance well, it was passion. Two people could abhor each other, and yet dance beautifully. I longed for something with a little feeling, but I was stuck with my android partner. Whatever, there wasn't much I could do about it now.

I finally grew sick of it and tuned everything out, being as devoid of passion as Roger. The time just flew by after that point. As the band set up, Roger went to go get some drinks. Thank god. I walked over to where Seraphine and Alice were lounging, laughing about something. Those two were out of the ordinary for Hogwarts, people kept staring at them. To me it was just normal. Well, the fact that they were being so open about it was a little out of the ordinary, but they'd been together for a while. Long enough for me to get used to it.

Seraphine looked up at me when I walked over, cheeks flushed and face bright. She was incredibly happy, and I was a bit envious. I wanted to be happy like that, I wanted to have someone to hold me and to help me. To love me. Mentally, I shook my head. God, I wasn't that weak. I didn't need anyone like that, I just needed friends and family, which I had. I didn't need, and would never need, a lover. Never.

"_How are you?"_ Sera asked, her smile was a bit infectious, I couldn't help but return it. _"Well, I'm okay. Roger seems to be having a great time." _

"_Yes, he sure does. Never did see him look at your face a single time."_ Alice spoke, and the malice I felt was a bit puzzling. We'd met through Seraphine when the two had become friends, before they began dating, and I'd always liked her. She'd spoken of a cousin named Emeric before, guess I just didn't connect the dots until I saw them together. Happy. I wanted that bastard to feel as miserable and alone as I did!

Guess it just wasn't meant to be that way.

Emeric and Hermione wandered over from the dance floor, hand in hand, grinning and laughing like idiots. It was odd to see him in something other than his uniform, but it actually looked really good on him. Or maybe it was just the workouts that Alice had been making him do daily with her. Whatever it was, he looked really good, and I hated it. His outfit was pure white, blindingly so. The pants seemed to be made of silk, and the stitches were all gold. The dress shirt was as flawless as the pants, it was snug but not too much, and I couldn't tell the material. Around his neck was a bunch of white cloth, one end thrown behind him and falling to his mid-back, the other wrapped around his left arm. A crest was sewn into the right breast of the shirt, with the same gold thread. It looked vaguely familiar, like I had seen it in a book somewhere, but I couldn't quite place it.

"Hello." Hermione greeted us, but her smile seemed to falter when her eyes landed on me. "Fine zen, I'll just be going." I said, but before I moved a muscle, Emeric spoke. "No, please, stay. I'd like to meet ze man zat's won your 'eart." I answered with a glare. _"He hasn't won my heart, Emeric. He's just a date. I don't even really like him."_

"_Is that so?"_

"_Quit being stupid." _

"_I will when you do."_

Our quiet bickering seemed to be getting on Alice and Sera's nerves, because they got up and returned to the dance floor. As they left, Roger returned with drinks. He was grinning like a moron, I wondered how many cups of punch he'd already had, probably too many. I took my drink from him, taking a sip. It was actually quite good, considering how much alcohol had probably been slipped into it. This was a good moment to get a little buzzed, because I didn't think Emeric was going to play nice with my date.

"It's good, isn't it?" Roger asked me, I merely nodded. There was no way he got drunk that fast, sadly, so anything he did was entirely his fault. "They didn't let the Weasleys touch it, Merlin knows what they'd put in it!"

"What are you implying?" Hermione asked, I stepped back. Okay, so maybe I should have been more worried about Emeric's date picking a fight.

"I am merely saying that they manage to screw everything up. Finesse is something they're lacking, apparently." Roger returned. Emeric appeared to be taking the same approach as me, standing back and watching. However, he did seem a little irked, and I suppose I was, aswell. I'd picked a complete moron to say yes to.

"Is that honestly the best you can do? Why don't you find a new insult for the Weasleys, rather than beat a dead horse!" I had to give the girl at least one point, she was feistier than I thought. Emeric uncrossed his arms, taking a step towards Hermione, so he was placed square at her side. It was clear he'd seen more than his fair share of fights, he didn't want this to escalate to something physical. Other students had stopped what they were doing to watch the drama unfold, however, the teachers did not seem to notice much of anything.

"You're a vile, worthless girl. I refuse to argue with you any longer." Roger snarled at Hermione, she seemed to be taken aback by his harsh words. She stood strong, though, she didn't let Roger scare her away. My eyes flicked to Emeric, he'd turned white as a sheet.

"_Emeric?"_ I asked quietly, his only reaction was his hands balling into fists. His jaw was tense, I could see the muscle working in his temple as he ground his teeth together. Slowly, he moved, so he was turned ever so slightly.

"What did you say?" He asked, voice not quite a snarl but it wasn't pleasant either. Roger, being the smartass that he was, answered in a way that didn't seem that wise.

"You heard me the first time, so if you're going to do something, do it!"

Before Roger or I could react, Emeric raised his right foot, sending a powerful kick into Roger's face. My date crumpled instantly, a kick that hard to the face had surely broken something. Blood painted his fingers, dripping between the cracks onto the pristine floor. Though I did not support him, I kneeled by the poor guy. He'd asked for it, but he seemed to be pretty hurt.

"What the hell was that for?!" Roger yelled, as teachers began to become aware of the situation. Gasps and whispering could be heard from the crowd, most the people around us had stopped to watch. Alice and Sera had stopped dancing, I could see Alice motion to Sera to stay put as she moved towards us.

"_I won't let you touch her, not with your traitorous, murdering hands!"_ Emeric wasn't making any sense, Roger was a traitor? A murderer? The blind boy reached down his leg, pulling up his pants and grasping the wooden handle of his wand. With a quick movement, it was free, and Alice broke into a run.

"_Emeric, don't!"_ She screamed, he turned towards her and raised his wand. _"Reducto!"_ He yelled, sending a spell at Alice. She barely jumped out of the way, creating a shield behind her to protect the students who 

would've been caught in the crossfire.

"_You think you can just come into our house and get away with it? I won't allow you to hurt anyone else!" _Alice sent a spell at Emeric, some sort of wind spell, he countered it easily. Even in whatever state he was in, he was awfully graceful in his spell casting. He must've been quite a sight back when he could see what the hell he was doing. Alice did not fear getting close to Emeric, she got right in front of him and attempted to quell his rage with spells. When that didn't work, she resorted to getting physical. Everything she did, he managed to counter and send back another spell twice as quick. When it came to spell casting, Alice was not even in Emeric's league. By a stroke of luck, one of Alice's _'Expelliarmus'_ spells worked, sending Emeric's wand flying. He didn't falter, he quickly reached down his other pant leg, pulling something that stopped Alice in her tracks.

The silver blade of the knife glinted in the light of the room as Emeric pinned Alice to the floor with a well placed leg and forearm. He pressed the sharp blade to her throat, not hard enough to draw blood, but certainly enough to terrify her. Her eyes were shut tight as she attempted to shrink away from the knife, to no avail.

"_Emeric!"_ She talked quietly, certainly out of fear that if she talked louder the blade would slice her. _"I am not one of them, Roger is not one of them. Hermione is not her. No one was in danger, not until you attacked. Just stop." _Her words seemed to work, Emeric drew back, releasing Alice. She quickly stood, while he stayed on the floor, legs pulled to his chest. Alice's chest heaved with each breath, she buried her face in her hands as McGonagall and Madame Maxime ran up to her. I walked over, aswell, to meet a clearly distressed Sera.

"_What the hell was that?"_ She asked me, all I could do was shrug. I really didn't know what had gotten into Emeric, he'd never acted like that before in front of me, and from the look on Alice's face he'd never done that to her, either. Alice had stopped Madame Maxime and McGonagall from heaving Emeric up off the floor, she tried to explain the situation to them.

"Please, 'e's not bad, 'e didn't mean it!" She spoke quickly in her explanation, trying to get them to understand. "'e 'as flashbacks sometimes, not normally zis bad, but-"

"That is beside the point. He attacked one of my students. He attacked you!" McGonagall cut her off, all Alice could do was shake her head. "Please, if you're going to punish 'im, do it later. 'e needs time right now."

"You are damn right I will punish him, but he doesn't seem very up to it." Emeric was sitting blankly on the floor, staring straight ahead with his chin rested on his knees. Normally, he seemed alert to the world around him, not now. Whatever was in his mind was stuck in there hard.

I couldn't help but feel bad for him. Sure, he'd attacked my date, but Roger had been asking for it. There was something deeper, though, something that haunted Emeric. Alice said he'd had flashbacks before, flashbacks to what? I wouldn't ask, not for a while. I wanted to know but I didn't want to hurt him. Contrary to popular belief, I sometimes had a heart. In the true sense.

Snape had already helped Roger down to the infirmary, I didn't really want to go sit with him. I couldn't believe I'd said yes to such a tool, to someone who would insult a kid, especially a kid I held some form of respect for. Sera, Alice, and Madame Maxime worked together to take Emeric back to the Beauxbatons carriage, leaving me alone. I turned, walking back over to Hermione. The poor girl hadn't moved, and as I walked over she slumped into a chair.

"What just happened?" She asked me, and again I had no real answer for her.

"I zink you just need to ask 'im when 'e's up to answering. If 'e owes anyone an explanation, it's you." She didn't cry, but from the way she bit down on her lower lip she looked dangerously close to tears. The only thing I could think to do was put an arm across her shoulders, in hopes that the human contact would comfort her, even if just slightly. "Listen, I'm sorry for what Roger said. Zat was completely out of line." I didn't need to apologize for the bastard, but it was all I could think to say. I felt bad about it.

"It's not your fault, and I don't really care what he thinks of me." Hermione was trying to lie, and failing miserably. She cared about his words, and they'd hurt, but she wasn't going to admit it. Maybe because she didn't want me to feel bad about what Roger had done? I didn't know.

"Are you alright?" I asked, thumb gently rubbing the shoulder it rested on. She nodded, albeit a bit weakly. "As alright as I can be right now." Her friends, Harry and Ron, came running up to us. I figured they could take better care of her than I could, so I stood up. She did look a little sad at the loss of contact, but she smiled at me. "Thanks." She said softly.

"It was no problem. If you need to talk, I'm 'ere." I replied, returning the gentle smile. She nodded again, words were not her forte at the moment. It was cute, though, I couldn't stop myself from thinking that. Though it had not really been my goal, it seemed as if I'd made a friend at Hogwarts, and for once I didn't regret doing so.

- - -

It was my fault for not concentrating.

I should've worked harder to get him, I should've taken my mind off of everything that had happened and just buckled down. I should've researched and practiced more once I'd found out the task. I should've done a lot of things, but I didn't. I didn't do everything I could've to save him, and now Emeric was stuck at the bottom of this cold, dark lake.

Sera had wrapped a towel around me as soon as they'd pulled me from the water, in an attempt to fight the biting cold. Once I was as dry as I was gonna get, they wrapped me in a fluffy bathrobe. The warmth compared to the water did nothing to help my mood. I could feel the extent of my wounds, the burned and throbbed, but nothing could compare to the mental pain I was feeling. I'd failed, not only had I failed Beauxbatons I'd failed Emeric.

But it wasn't the end of the world, it couldn't be. Once the other champions returned they'd pull Emeric to the surface, like they did with me. Right? I mean, they couldn't leave him down there to die. They wouldn't. It was immoral. Sera had wrapped her arms around me and I couldn't help but melt into her. I wanted to start crying, just let loose and sob until this was all over, but my pride wouldn't let me. Alice was standing to my right, leaning on the rail of the platform. Every time she tapped her fingers on the metal, my heart skipped a beat.

The waiting was nearly unbearable.

Finally, the other champions started to emerge. Cedric Diggory was first, with his Yule Ball date clutched tightly in one of his arms. The Hogwarts students erupted in cheers for him, I would've clapped respectfully if I had the mind to do so. Sera held me tighter. _"It'll be over soon, Fleur, they'll bring him up and everything will be alright."_ She spoke softly to me, I wanted to believe it desperately, but part of me knew better.

Krum was next, with some Hogwarts girl that had been his date to the Yule Ball. Even with their small numbers, his classmates were loud, their booming cheers hurt my ears. Harry Potter followed next, with his flaming-haired friend. They'd all finished with about ten minutes left, they spell wouldn't wear out before 

they could bring Emeric up. Good!

Yet, none of the hosts seemed to be doing anything, nor the teachers. I pulled from Sera, walking over to Madame Maxime, catching her just as she moved to go up the stairs with Dumbledore and Karkaroff. _"What about Emeric?"_ I knew she was still angry at him for how he shamed Beauxbatons with his behavior at the Yule Ball, and her response showed her disgust.

"_I do not know, ask Crouch." _She replied, anger laced each word. Without a second thought, I dashed up the stairs to the judge's box, slipping past Dumbledore and Karkaroff. I didn't care about them, not right now. "Zere's less zan ten minutes left." I told him, bluntly. Crouch stared at me with a blank look, almost like he was confused as to what I was talking about. "You 'ave to bring up Emeric." I clarified, but his expression did not change. Instead, he broke eye contact with me.

"I'm sorry." He said, "But that is against the rules. It was rescue what was taken from you or lose it forever." I opened my mouth to protest, but he stopped me before I could say anything. "This is the Triwizard Tournament, Ms. Delacour, not a simple game! The stakes are high, we will not intervene to fix a mistake you made!"

The wet locks of hair stuck to my face seemed to grow colder, like icicles pressed against my face. I could feel a bead of water slip down the back of my neck, being absorbed into the cloth of the powder-blue robe. My breath caught in my throat, blocked by the pounding of my heart. Everything seemed to slip away for a moment, the noise of the crowd lost somewhere along the way from my ears to my brain. The world spun a little, enough to make me lean forward and steady myself on the judge's table. It had barely sunken in.

They weren't going to help him.

They were going to leave him down there to die.

It was all my fault.

With all the strength I could muster, I forced my legs to work and I ran for the stairs, flying down them. Sera and Alice were waiting, along with the other three champions. I could feel their gazes on me as I reached the bottom platform, hardly able to stand. My fingers gripped the metal railing as tightly as I could, I disregarded how my skin burned from the cold. _"Fleur, what's wrong?"_ I heard Sera ask me, just barely.

"Zey're not going to 'elp Emeric." I could hardly voice it, because once the words were out of my mouth, it was really true. I received a unison "What?!" in return from my fellow champions, Sera, and Alice.

"Vot do you mean they are doing nothing?"

"That's not possible, Dumbledore wouldn't let this happen."

"This is a fair game, they don't want anyone to die!"

"_That is completely immoral, they wouldn't dare to even suggest it!" _

They were all talking over each other, everything was a bit hazy. It was like an out-of-body experience, like I wasn't really there. I certainly didn't want to be. I could hear Krum yell Karkaroff's name until he descended down the stairs, Harry and Diggory did the same until Dumbledore followed. I couldn't call for Madame Maxime, I couldn't really talk. There was so much I wanted to say, but the sounds just wouldn't form.

Instead, I listened as Krum, Cedric, and Harry argued with the three heads, insisting that they do something to 

help Emeric. No matter how much they argued, they always got the same answer. It was part of the rules, and the rules didn't change. It was comforting, to know that the boys I was competing against actually cared about this, that they wanted to help me. Finally, I knew what I needed to say.

"Fine zen, if you will not 'elp 'im, I will do it myself!" It was surprisingly forceful, I didn't feel like it at all in that moment, Fear crept into my bones, wracking me with paranoia and terror. In that moment, though, I disregarded my feelings. I needed to help Emeric, I needed to save him. I pulled the bathrobe from my body, exposing myself fully to the cold once more. I could hardly feel it. I moved for the edge of the platform, and as I attempted to dive back into the frigid lake I felt fingers wrap around my wrists. The grip was tight, it dug into my flesh, but I struggled despite it. _"Let me go!"_ I screamed, trying my hardest to break free, gaze focused only on the lake and not on anything else. Whoever had a hold of me fiercely pulled me back into the platform, sending me crashing against the damp wood of the platform.

"_You stay right here!"_ The snarl was ever so familiar, tears welled in my eyes. Here I was, beaten and broken, sore all over. I'd failed not only my school and myself, but a person I cared for immensely. Because of my stupid, childish mistake, he was going to die, and there was nothing I could do to fix it. I didn't want to cry, but the tears spilled over my cheeks, my body shook with sobs. Someone covered me up with my robe once more, I saw it was Krum. Sera, Alice, and Cedric had kneeled by me, while Harry ran up the stairs to talk to Dumbledore.

I already felt ashamed, but here I was, crying like a child in front of my competition and my friends. It wasn't like me to show weakness, especially not like this. I felt Sera's hand on my back, she gently rubbed it through the fabric of the robe. For once, it didn't help me. It was dismal, knowing that he was just sitting on the bottom of the lake, asleep. He'd wake up, not know where he was, only to try to breathe and take in water. I'd be over from that moment, he'd begin to drown and be unable to help himself. He'd die a slow death, completely alone.

Because of me.

It only made me cry harder, to know that it was my fault. I knew the rules, but I was reckless anyway. I deserved to be punished like this, but Emeric didn't. He didn't deserve to die for what I'd done. Did the others know that? Could they understand that Emeric was innocent in all this, that all he did was try to be my friend. He wanted to get to know me, to become close to me, but I pushed him away. I always pushed him away. I didn't mean it though, I cared, I truly did. I buried my face in my arms, my fingers wrapping in my soaked locks and pulling. The pain felt nice.

Emeric was one of few people that actually cared about me. His actions weren't fueled by my charms or my looks or anything like that, he was just being genuine with me. I never returned to the favor. I buried what I felt, hoping that it would just go away and my life could continue as normal. I always complained about how no one ever truly loved me, none of the boys really cared, that they all just wanted me for my body. When I found one that really did care, that loved me for my personality and not for my assets, I lashed out and made him hate me.

I was afraid to love him, the fact that he actually loved me scared me more than any creature or spell. I pushed him away when he needed me the most, and now when I needed him he was gone. It was all my fault, because I was stupid, I made mistake after mistake and didn't realize it until it was too late. What I felt for Emeric swelled up in my like a balloon, the knowledge that I had killed him warped the feelings into those of disgust and hate for myself. I dug my fingers into my scalp, welcoming the sting as my nails pierced the skin. It came down to one fact, the fact that had caused all this. Not just with Emeric, but with everyone I met. Everyone I'd even remotely cared for.

My love killed it all.

**A/N: You know reviews make me happy, so click the button and write something if you feel up to doing so!**


	9. Chapter Nine

La Fleur De La Lumiere

Chapter Nine

Something felt wrong.

I took in a deep breath, expecting to heave in air, only to get lungs-full of water. My body reacted instantly, coughing in an attempt to get the water out, but it did nothing other than force in more. Struggling, I tried to reach down my leg, which had something wrapped around it that was holding me down. I felt my fingers on wood, thank god, my wand was there. A quick cast of the bubblehead charm gave me air once more. I tried to keep my coughing soft, I certainly didn't want to break the bubble and be greeted by cold water once more.

Where the hell was I? The last thing I remembered was being called down to Madame Maxime's office. I was sure she was going to accost me once more for how I'd brought shame to Beauxbatons, like she'd been doing off and on since the Yule Ball, but she was oddly nice to me. And that's all I could remember. It was weird, but I could figure it out later. Now I needed to get the hell out of wherever I was.

My fingers fumbled on the binding around my leg, it was simply tied so I managed to get it undone within a few moments of working on it. Floating freely felt odd, I hadn't swum much since the accident. There was too little control; it basically wiped out all my senses, leaving me defenseless and therefore a tad paranoid.

Something brushed my back, I whipped around with my fingers out, attempting to grab or even feel what had touched me, but I got nothing. It was just a fish, or some seaweed, or something. Nothing to worry about. Now, I needed to swim up. My arms and legs worked to propel me upwards; it was easier than I'd remembered. All of a sudden, I was pulled to a halt. I could feel something around my ankle, had I not completely untied the restraints? No, this was different; I could feel fingers digging into my flesh. All I could think to do was send spells in the general direction, anything that came to mind just to get this thing off of me!

It let go, but I hadn't seen the last of it. Something whacked me in the gut, hard, putting enough force behind it to make me unable to breathe. Under water, that was quite a feat. I had to take a moment to catch my breath, I knew I shouldn't stop moving but I couldn't help it. My eyes began to burn in their sockets; it was a searing pain that resonated through my brain. Had he hit me with a spell? This didn't feel like before, and if he was trying to take my sight someone had already beat him there.

But it wasn't that at all.

Slowly, light began to peek through. It hurt; even the small amount of light was plenty more than I'd seen in years. The light became shapes, and those shapes grew clearer, and then began to fill in with color. I blinked ferociously, attempting to get used to the gift of sight, trying to get it to stop hurting. All I could equate it to was when I used to go outside on a sunny day after being in a musty classroom all day, but on a much larger scale.

Looking straight ahead, I could see what had been attacking me. It was a man. Things were still a bit fuzzy, so I couldn't quite focus, but I could tell he was staying stationary and simply watching me. Waiting for me to finally adjust. "What do you want?" I asked, but I knew he couldn't hear me. The water drowned out everything. It seemed like forever until I could focus without blinking, until I could see the man clearly. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place him.

He didn't try talking to me; he instead raised his wand and wrote in shimmering light. _'Where is the sphere?'_ 

He wrote, all I could do was shake my head. So, he was one of them. The Fonce wouldn't dare come after the sphere, not now. He wanted the sphere, and I couldn't give it to him. The only difference his origins made was to tell me if I was supposed to eliminate him or not.

The glow on the text brightened, I shook my head once more. His hands were gripped into tight fists, I could tell his knuckles were white. It occurred to me to look into his eyes, but I certainly didn't like what I saw. They were glowing aswell, not fiercely, but the irises had a distinct, white shine. I knew that all to well, and I knew exactly what he was. He'd been here, he'd been watching me and waiting for the perfect time to attack, which apparently was now. And if he'd been here, that meant he wasn't alone. They never worked alone. Which meant not only was I in danger, so was Alice, and Fleur, and Gabrielle. All of the students. Sure, there were great witches and wizards here, but they couldn't stand up to a Fureur. They had no idea how to fight them.

But I did.

Pushing as hard as I could, I took off for the surface, keeping my eyes on the Fureur who'd confronted me. He took off after me, he was fast! Arms reached out to grab my legs, I kicked and struggled, trying to free myself from his grip. It didn't work well, he merely held me tighter. I knew he could feel my knife anchored around my ankle, I tried to reach down and grab it, but he beat me to it. Luckily, it involved him letting go of me, and I dashed away as fast as I could toward the surface. The more I swam, the lighter it became. I didn't dare to look back, but I knew he was behind me.

As I neared the surface, he sent off a spell. It wasn't aimed at me, no, it fired through the surface of the water. I broke my head through, I could see it was a signal. The sound of chattering hit my ears, I looked over to see all the students on platforms. We were in the lake. One of the top rafter sent down a spell towards the water, it didn't seem to do anything at first, but it wasn't long until I saw the ice spreading across the water like wildfire. I certainly didn't want to get stuck in it, so I took a deep breath and dunked my head back into the water, casting the bubblehead charm once more. The top of the lake above me froze over, dashing any hope I had of escaping or being seen.

I saw no sign of the Fureur, so I began swimming towards where all the students were. It would be far more difficult to break through the ice here then to do it closer to the platform. No one seemed to be following me, but I could feel a presence. The same presence I'd felt in the Great Hall. He was watching me, I knew it. But I couldn't stop, I had to keep going.

It didn't take long to swim near the platform, the ice was clear and I could see the moving shapes through it. I got close to the ice, it was cool under my fingertips. First I tried fists, no matter how much I pounded against it, it just wouldn't break. It didn't even crack. I moved back, maybe spells were the only thing that could break this! Everything I tried failed to work even a bit.

In anger, I punched the ice, turning around only to be face to face with the man. He moved in a split second, grabbing my wrist and slashing at me with the knife. I moved in an attempt to get out of the way, it worked! I couldn't feel any pain, surely he'd missed. One quick look down confirmed that he'd succeeded, but only slightly. The cut wasn't very deep, and it was hardly bleeding. Still, I knew I had to get away or he'd do much worse.

There was one last thing I could do to escape, the only thing I could think of. "Lux Lacertosus!" I yelled, pointing my wand at the hard sheet of ice. A bright beam shattered the ice, creating a hole just large enough to me to crawl through. I started to push my way up out of the water, but I didn't quite get the chance before I was pulled back by the Fureur. He cast a spell, pressing his wand tip to my chest. I knew the feeling, but it was terrifying. How did he know where I'd hid it? Better yet, how the hell did he know the spell to draw it out?

I tried to stop it, to hold him back, but it didn't work. A sphere slowly emerged from my chest, the archaic letters on it ever-glowing. Each age-ridden piece was movable, it was a puzzle, after all. Only could I know the answer if it was truly needed, if we ever needed the power left by our ancestors. Now was not that time, nothing came to me except that I needed to take the sphere and escape from here.

My fingers closed around the orb and I broke free, throwing myself through the hole I'd created in the ice. It was right next to the lowest platform, where they were watching, waiting. Fingers closed around my ankles as I attempted to heave myself up and out of the water. There was no way in hell I was going to let this traitorous bastard pull me back into the water! A kick was enough to get his grip to loosen, so I could pull my ankle from his grip.

"Alice!" I yelled with all my might, throwing the sphere. As long as it was kept away from the Fureur, we'd be fine. I saw her jump down from her place, slipping slightly on the ice as she ran and scooped up the sphere. There was another on the ice, just by his presence I knew he was a Fureur. When they were under the influence they had a certain glow, an aura that we could all sense. He began barreling at her, his speed superhuman. She'd be fine, I knew it. She was a wonderful fighter and always had been.

I turned my attention back to the man who had originally confronted me. He'd pulled himself from the water, his size was more daunting up on the surface. He easily stood 6'5, perhaps taller. Muscles bulged under bronzed skin, scars interrupted the smooth texture. His dark hair was plastered against his face, his chest heaved with every breath. It nearly sounded like he was growling. The shine in his eyes struck me to my core, it was a sight I never wanted to see. Part of me knew I would, someday. That they would return and threaten me, threaten my family.

I didn't have time to be afraid of this man. The things he could do to me were inconsequential. All I needed to do was protect the sphere, all Alice needed to do was protect me. It was simple, really. I knew exactly what was needed of me. Still, it was hard to banish the fear of death. It was something that lingered in me, made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It made the adrenaline pump through my body with every beat of my heart. It made a series of 'what ifs' run through my mind. All still inconsequential.

A grin rose on his features, it was fueled by a mixture of arrogance and pride. He knew exactly what his power was and he knew that I was scared. It gave him power. For a moment, he stared me in the eyes. It was the longest moment of my life. I felt my breath catch, I didn't blink. For a moment, I stopped living.

And then it was over.

He knew I didn't have the sphere any longer, so he turned his attention to Alice. Already his partner was fighting with her, I could see her trying her hardest to fend him off. A blast of air sent him flying, but she wasn't prepared for the second combatant and he caught her off guard with a tackle. It was shameful, but all I could do was stand there. This was similar to then in too many ways, I didn't wanted to relieve that. Exactly! I didn't want to relieve that, which is why I needed to do something before it was too late.

My wand was still gripped tightly in my hand, I raised it in aim. In my mind, I knew what I had to do. I knew my duty. Part of me was scared of what everyone else would think. Would they call me evil? Would I become an outcast? What about jail, would they think twice before punishing me? It didn't matter, it just didn't matter. I had a mission, and I had to protect.

The tip of my wand was shaking, I couldn't for the life of me hold my hand still. I saw the man slam his fist into Alice's chest, in my mind I could hear the bones cracking. She never cried out, she was trying her hardest to fight back. She, in many ways, was stronger than me. She didn't need to prepare, she just did what she had 

to do without a second thought. She knew her attacks weren't doing any good, so she curled up into a ball, the sphere clutched at the center. The man's partner returned, sending his foot into her side. She didn't loosen her grip. A swift punch to the head, she didn't loosen her grip. Nails dug into her neck, she didn't loosen her grip. A knife slashed at her legs, she didn't loosen her grip.

She, in many was, was stronger than me. But today, it was my duty to protect her. I wouldn't let her die over this, for they would surely kill her because she would never give up. I could feel my heart beating in my chest as the words left my mouth, the sound pulsed in my ears as the green light emitted from the tip of my wand. The partner stopped his attack, just standing. He stood for a moment, before crumpling. I didn't need to be close to see the life leave him. I put one foot in front of the other, walking towards them. The man had stood, leaving Alice. He stared at me for a moment with anger, before grabbing the corpse of his partner and disappearing through the ice.

Alice wasn't moving. The thud of my racing heart was deafening, I could hardly stand it. My mortality was a curse in that moment. I'd failed again was all that I could think as I approached her. I'd waited too long, I'd let her die. I'd let her die just like my sister. It was all my fault.

But then she moved.

Slowly, Alice unfurled from the tight ball she'd contorted her body in. Blood had covered her legs and the back of her neck, staining her ponytail crimson. She extended a hand to me, clutched in it was the sphere. Carefully, I took it, before extending my other hand to help her stand. She did so, but with great difficulty. I knew she had broken bones. Still, she wasn't crying. Hell, she was smiling.

"_We fought them off, Emeric."_ She said, her voice laced with a triumphant tone. _"We won, just us. They cant do a damn thing."_ She was bleeding and broken, yet they couldn't hurt her spirit. And she was right, we'd fought them off. I wasn't afraid to do what I had to do, I didn't find a reason to talk myself out of it, I didn't stall until it was too late. I just did it.

As we walked back towards the platforms, I could feel their gazes hot on my skin. Some disapproving, some awestruck. The one that stung the most was scared. I wasn't going to hurt them, no, my job was the opposite. As a Lumiere, I was supposed to protect the innocent who needed it. And yet they thought I was going to go crazy and go after them!

We managed to climb up onto the lowest platform, Alice was instantly met by Seraphine. I couldn't hear a word she was saying but I could feel the concern radiating off of her. Alice did nothing but smile and be cheery as she collapsed into the girl's arms. She would need medical attention, but for now all she needed was closeness with the one she loved the most.

I was approached first by Madame Maxime, Dumbledore and the others followed soon after. Their voices were also lost, I could see their lips moving but I heard nothing. I turned to avoid their stares, hot like coals burrowing into my eyeballs. Instead my gaze was met by shimmering orbs, like glass. They were the color of the ocean, mirroring the calmness and ferocity of the waves. How the chaos of the crashing was met by a wave of tranquility. A mixture of emotions all thrown together that just worked. It was a breathtaking sight, her eyes. Nothing rivaled it. She didn't try to talk, she just stared deeply into my eyes, and I stared back. The quickened pounding of my heart grew louder.

Never in my life had I felt safer.

**Sorry for the long delay and the kinda short chapter, but now that it's summer I'm going to try and update faster! Reviews are always appreciated.**


	10. Chapter Ten

La Fleur De La Lumiere

Chapter Ten

I could do nothing but wait.

It was painful, knowing that Emeric was in there all alone with that investigator, being questioned. I knew he was a big boy, that he could take care of himself, but I couldn't help but feel like this was partially my fault. I'd failed the task, after all, I'd left him there to die. It wasn't like he had talked to me, that would be ridiculous. He'd just stared.

I have to say, once the cloudiness was gone from his irises, they were quite a stunning green.

Angrily, I shook my head. His looks weren't the point. The point was he was clearly traumatized by what had happened. I mean, he was attacked and Alice too, and he'd killed a guy! That was a lot to go through in one day. He'd just been staring at me, and then Karkaroff tried to take that round thing he was holding and Emeric lunged and it just turned into a big squabble. Now some detectives from the English Ministry of Magic had been called in and supposedly some French representatives were on their way to contest whatever punishment the English Ministry sought fit.

Which, for killing a man, was Azkaban.

Even in France, we know of Azkaban. It's the cruelest place, worse than hell. I didn't want Emeric to go there, I was scared that he might. If we were in France, then I wouldn't be so scared. Their punishments were different, unique to each case. Not like this. I felt tears stinging in the back of my eyes, threatening to break forth. Emeric was going to go to jail or worse and it was my fault. I dug my nails into my palms. I would not cry. Not here.

_"Is this where Emeric Clare is being held_?" A woman's voice rang clear in my ears, my gaze darted up to be met by the sight of a young woman. Her blonde locks were forced back in a tight bun, her eyes a little too close to the color of her red uniform for comfort. I recognized the badge on her arm, she was the detective that had been sent from France. My hopes for Emeric were diminished further. I was expecting them to send someone experienced, not this new recruit!

_"Yes, but he's being questioned right now."_ My voice was a little sharper than I'd expected, and she seemed slightly taken aback. Perfect, not only was she young and inexperienced but she was also timid. With a small nod, she sat down in another chair outside of the infirmary. We sat in awkward silence for what seemed like forever, until she spoke once more.

_"He's going to be fine, you don't have to worry."_ She didn't even make eye contact with me, she continued to stare into her lap.

_"How the hell could you possibly know that?"_ I bit back, she still refused to look at me.

_"He's a Lumiere. They're exempt for this kind of thing. For almost everything, actually." _

_"What?"_ I lost the harshness in my voice, my curiosity was perked. I'd heard of the Lumiere before, read it in a book somewhere, but I couldn't really remember any specifics.

_"They don't talk about it much, but the Lumiere and Fonce families can basically get away with anything. The laws for them were designated a long time ago, and they override any new laws. Anywhere. Good deal for them." _

_"So they can get away with murder?" _

_"In a sense. They'd never hurt anyone who didn't deserve it, thank Merlin. It's against their family oath or whatever. To protect the innocent. They're kinda nice actually, they help out with crime and stuff if it's needed and now that they aren't fighting with the Fonce so much, it's pretty calm down south." _

Ah, I remembered that. I thought it was just a myth. There was a man who had twin sons, Ange and Abraxas. They always fought, since they were little boys, and when they grew up they decided to take it to a new level. Ange took the last name Lumiere, and Abraxas took the last name Fonce. Light and darkness, I thought it was too cliché to be true.

Anyway, they each married and had kids of their own, and their kids had kids, and so on. Everyone had jobs within the clan, to uphold the family name and to fight the opposite family. On their deathbeds, both Ange and Abraxas put all their knowledge into objects. The Lumiere powers of light were sealed inside a sphere, and the Fonce control of darkness was locked into a necklace. Their power could be accessed by one person and one person only: the Keeper.

This job was passed from generation to generation, as one keeper died another was magically chosen. If the power was ever needed, the password would be made known to the keeper, so the power could be unlocked for only them. Legend says it made them unstoppable. Well, history, since it was apparently true. At least partially.

Why didn't Emeric ever tell me about this? Perhaps he couldn't, that would make sense. They'd want to keep a low profile for fear that they would be attacked in a struggle for power or glory. Still, I wish he'd told me. This all would've made so much more sense, especially his amazing magic skills. Legend also said that the Fonce and Lumiere were some of the greatest harnessers of magic to ever walk the earth, that they could do magic from birth. But I didn't really believe it.

I guess I wouldn't know anything till I talked to Emeric. When this was all sorted out.

Finally, the English investigators exited the room. They didn't even acknowledge the French witch as she stood from her seat, unfolding her glasses and lightly placing them in front of her eyes. She looked very official, perhaps I was a little quick to judge her. Maybe her words had just made me optimistic, who knows? She walked into the infirmary, shutting the doors behind her with a flick of her wrist. I couldn't help the small smile that grew on my lips.

Maybe this would turn out well after all.

* * *

Once the detectives were gone and she had done a simple healing spell on Emeric, Madame Pomfrey allowed me to come inside the infirmary and visit. Emeric was sitting in a chair next to the bed where Alice laying, sleeping peacefully considering what she'd just gone through. Seraphine was on the opposite side of the bed, her head resting down on the pillow next to Alice's. She'd fallen asleep, aswell.

_"She's gonna be fine_." Emeric spoke in hushed tones, not angry, not much of anything, actually. I turned my head towards him, looking him in the eyes. They were cloudy again, much to my disappointment. I felt like I knew him better in those few moments when the film of blindness had been removed, I felt like he could no longer hide his emotions from me. I felt like I could see inside of him. But now the barrier was back and I could see nothing but an indifferent exterior.

_"What happened out there, Emeric?"_ I asked after a moment of silence. He took a while to answer me, and still his words were not necessarily angry, but harsher than before.

_"Why do you care?"_ I sighed, crossing my arms across my chest. To be honest, I didn't really know why I cared. I didn't know why I felt so horrible about failing him, why the thought of him dying at the bottom of the Black lake made my chest tighten and tears well up in my eyes. It didn't feel like love, I mean, I'd hated him before that. But this was proof that I had to care, I wouldn't have worried otherwise. He wouldn't have been my chosen one otherwise.

But I'd _hated _him.

Sure, it was for a stupid reason. A very stupid reason. Did I pick the first thing and get angry? It didn't seem like it at the time. I felt like I hated him and I felt like I was perfectly justified. Maybe that's why Gabrielle was so annoyed by my behavior around him. And surely his hatred for me had been born from how I treated him.

Maybe this was my barrier.

Instead of giving into my feelings and just accepting them, I chose to distance myself and start hating him. It was less scary that way, no one had ever really cared for me simply for my personality, not like Emeric. I didn't understand what was going on so I decided to stop it completely. I still don't really know what's happened, just that I care and he cared. It didn't seem like love but it was still something special.

_"I just do."_ Was the only answer I could come up with. I knew it was horribly unsatisfying and vague, but it's all I had. _"I'm sorry for how I acted. I'm just confused."_

_"And rather immature." _Emeric added. It wasn't good to think about, but it was true.

_"And immature. At times."_ Emeric nodded, I could see him lightly bite down on his lower lip.

_"I'm sorry too. Even though my actions were fueled by yours, it was still inappropriate and immature. Though I don't regret attacked Roger." _

_"I don't blame you for that. He was out of line."_

_"So, what does this mean? Friends…?"_

I wasn't quite sure how to answer that question. Was what I wanted friendship or more? I must've paused long enough for Emeric to catch on to my dilemma.

_"You don't know?"_ I shook my head. A small smile rose to his lips. It was small, but evident. _"Me either."_

Even though he couldn't see it, I smiled back.

* * *

We just_ talked_. For hours. I'm sure the girls all thought we were doing something else, but we weren't. We just talked about everything we could think of, everything that hadn't been spoken in the time that we'd known each other, jokes and serious conversation intermixed. For the first time in a while I was actually happy. I was peaceful and content just sitting and talking.

Something had brought up my childhood, I told him a story of when my mother used to put me and Gabrielle to sleep at night, when we were still little, before school started. It was a memory that brought a smile. Not only did the reminiscing make me happy, it made Emeric open up a little about his past and childhood.

_"I wish I got put to bed that nicely, with a sweet song of love and care."_ Emeric spoke lightly, grinning. _"Instead, I got the "family oath" every night, till I learned it. Then I had to recite it, me and my brother and my cousins, we all did. Then the adults would recite it back and we'd go off to bed."_

_"Family oath? Care to elaborate?"_ I prodded lightly, I didn't want to ruin this.

_"I promise to do no harm to those that don't incite it. I promise to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I promise to help where ever I am needed. I promise to stand by my brothers and sisters in blood and do whatever it takes. I promise to sacrifice whatever I must. I promise that no matter how much I fear, I will not betray my brethren. I promise to guard the sphere with my life. I promise to uphold the name the great Ange Lumiere bestowed upon me. My importance is insignificant in comparison to the life of an innocent or the wellbeing of the sphere. I am bound to these promises by blood, and to cross them means execution. I am the light that drives away the darkness."_

_"That's quite a lot on your plate."_ My response followed a brief pause. Emeric merely shrugged.

_"Not really. Once you get trained for the whole lifestyle and stuff it's quite easy. Of course, disregarding odd circumstances."_

_"Trained?"_

_"Yeah, we're pretty much trained from birth. The oath is first, and then we got home magic lessons and such till school began. We're trained to be able to handle a lot of pain, and to deflect any kind of mind control or mind reading or anything of the sort. Basically, the cruciatus stops hurting so much after a while and imperio is simply an annoyance."_

_"So your own family cast these spells on you? When you were little?"_ It all sounded so unbelievable to me. I mean, surely a child couldn't handle such curses!

_"Yeah. And their family cast it on them, and their family before that. It's not a big deal, especially considering the times we live in. Our power in the wrong hands could cause so much damage. Some more than others."_ He leaned into me slightly, his next words quiet. _"We have power you've never experienced, we can cast spells the normal wizard or witch couldn't hope to master in two lifetimes. You haven't even seen a fraction of what we can do." _

He spoke like it was a secret. I knew he had a lot of power under his simple frame, but I didn't know to what extent it reached. And he said 'we.' So that meant his whole family was as powerful, if not more, than him. I'd known Alice longer than him and I'd never seen her demonstrate impossible magic. It didn't really make sense, but it did. They didn't want to call unnecessary attention to themselves, so they only used the powerful stuff when it was needed.

Like today.

Emeric had casted Avada Kedavra, the killing curse. He'd killed a man today, and yet he didn't seem phased. It was weird, and it was weird that I hadn't thought about it until then. I mean, in context of his oath, maybe it wasn't something new.

_"Have you killed people before?"_ I blurted it out before I could stop myself. Emeric seemed a little taken aback, and he seemed like he didn't know how to answer.

_"Once. A long time ago." _

He didn't elaborate and I didn't press him.

_"Tell me some more things about your family. I'm curious."_ I said, trying to lighten the mood. It seemed to work, Emeric's smile returned as he told me stories of the days when his family was carefree, or at least as carefree as they got. I smiled and listened intently, wanting to soak up as much about him in that moment as possible, because I didn't know if he'd ever open up to me again.

Not like this.

* * *

I groaned at the sheer amount of light filtering in through my eyelids. I didn't want it to be morning yet, I'd been up so late talking to Emeric. I must've fallen asleep in the middle of it, because the last thing I remembered was lying on my bed next to Emeric and talking. Good job, Fleur, way to fall asleep.

Furiously, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, trying to wake myself up enough in order to actually make it out of bed. At this rate, I was just gonna rot under the covers, it was way too damn comfortable and I was far too exhausted. I let my head sink back into the down pillow, the feathers soft against my head. Thank god it was Sunday, so I didn't have class, but I still knew I had to get out of bed sometime. That time wasn't there yet, however, so I shut my eyes and began to drift back to sleep when the door suddenly opened and shut moments later. I opened my eyes and scowled at my sister, never before had her timing been so bad. I didn't care if I missed breakfast or lunch for that matter, I just wanted to sleep!

_"What do you want, Gabrielle?"_ I questioned, harsh tones laced in my voice. All Gabrielle did was smile at me, the kind of mischievous smile she got when she had some good gossip or wanted to blackmail me into doing something.

_"So…"_ She started. I stared at her, frown etched into my features. _"I saw Emeric leave your room last night. What happened between you two? Give me all the details."_ I should've known, she was always such a little gossip whore. I loved her and I knew she loved me, but still, it got annoying at times.

_"Nothing really happened. We just talked, and apparently I fell asleep at some point."_ I replied. Gabby seemed disappointed.

_"Come on, really? Well, what did he say?"_

_"I'm not really at liberty to tell you. He loves you though, he'd probably tell you if you just asked him."_

_"So there's no more hatred between you two?"_

_"No, I don't believe so."_

_"Good. That was really dumb, you know. Even your reason for hating him sucked."_

_"Shut up. It was a heat of the moment thing and I just had to roll with it, alright?"_

_"To keep up your flawless reputation?"_ All I could do was sigh and shake my head, because it was true. My damn reputation got in the way of a lot of things, actually, but I couldn't just drop it. It's how I'd been my whole life, basically. Maybe it was a Veela thing?

_"I think you were just afraid of feeling something for real."_ Gabby started, and in a way I knew she was right. _"I mean, you never really liked anyone for real, did you?" I shook my head. "So you panicked when you realized you felt something for Emeric and pushed him away. For you, it's natural. You've always been afraid of things you didn't understand."_

_"Not always."_ I returned with a glare, and Gabby shrugged.

_"Quite often, especially when it comes to people. Way to be socially inept without anyone realizing it!"_ She moved over to the bed, pulling on my arm. _"Get your lazy self out of bed, let's go get breakfast!"_ I groaned, using all my weight to keep myself anchored under the covers_. "Emeric's already down there, I talked to him as he left."_

God damn that girl.

_"Fine."_ I sighed, rolling out of bed. Luckily, I was still in my clothes from the night before and I didn't have to change, because I honestly didn't feel like it. I quickly ran a brush through my silvery locks before subduing them in a tight ponytail as Gabby waited impatiently by the door. As soon as I was done, we left my room and hurried across the grounds, quickly walking into the building and through to the Great Hall.

Still, some students raised their eyes to stare at me, but not as many as before, thank god. Gabrielle and I took our seats across from Seraphine. Surprisingly, she'd come down from the infirmary. Still, she looked a mess, like she hadn't slept a bit. Worry was etched across her face. The only thing I could think to do was reach across the table and put my hand over hers. She looked me in the eye, and I spoke as confidently as I could. _"She's going to be fine, Sera_." She nodded, giving me a slight smile.

_"She woke up this morning, told me to go down and get something to eat since I missed dinner last night. She said she was feeling better, but I really don't believe her." Seraphine_ shrugged_. "Guess I know her too well. She'd say something like that to make me not worry as much."_

_"The healer here is very good. I'm sure Alice was telling you the truth when she said she was feeling better, and that she'll be up and walking around in no time."_ This produced a small smile on Sera's features. She nodded, before taking a bite of the sausage on her plate.

I was focusing on piling food on my plate (I'd missed dinner too, I remembered) when I felt someone sit down beside me. Emeric had moved from the Gryffindor table to sit next to me, bringing his toast and pumpkin juice with him. He was wearing a radiant smile, one brighter than I'd seen in a long time.

_"Good morning!"_ He said. Even though he'd killed a guy the day before, he seemed absolutely giddy. It was actually a little odd, but I couldn't help but smile back at him. It'd been warranted, the guy got what was coming to him. In fact, they should've celebrated. So this was gonna have to be their celebration, finally being happy around each other for a whole day.

Already, I could tell things were looking up.

* * *

I felt Emeric lace his fingers with mine, ever so softly under the table. He was very hesitant about it, like he wasn't sure if I was gonna reject him or not. It was nice to feel the warmth radiating from his hand as my grip on it tightened, ever so slightly. He wasn't looking in my direction, but I could see a slight twinge of a blush coloring his cheeks. It'd taken us weeks to get to this point, but that didn't matter, I was loving every minute of it.

Deciding to give the poor boy a break, I looked over at Alice and Seraphine. Alice whispered something in the other girl's ear that made her giggle lightly and her face flush, I could only imagine what it was. They were such a good couple, in a sense I envied them and their simple bliss. They were able to find happiness simply by looking at one another, it was something I'd wanted for years. But I understood now, I understood how that one look could just make your day.

For the first time in my life, I had that happiness.

My gaze returned to Emeric, just to be pulled away by a group entering the Great Hall. They walked silently except for the sound of their red boots hitting the floor. Their robes were a startling red, and the uniformly-featured mask that hid their identities matched the color. They walked erect, backs straight, a sense of pride about them. I'd read about them before, but never actually seem them in person. Simply knowing the work they did make me uncomfortable. The question was: Why were they here?

_"What the hell…?" _Alice muttered, turning her attention from Sera. Her smile disappeared, as did mine. Emeric turned to his cousin.

_"Who is it?"_

_"The Red Guard."_

_"What?!" _Emeric's response was clearly a little louder than he'd meant it to be, and his next words were hushed. _"Please don't tell me they're here to do their jobs. I really hope it's just some dumb scare tactic our ministry cooked up for some odd reason."_

_"Let's pray to god, because if they're here to kill someone, well, this is gonna get real unpleasant."_ Alice replied. I turned my intention to the Red Guard, their leader was speaking with Dumbledore, presumably about whatever they were here for. This was very bad, and considering the catastrophe that was the second task was only a few weeks before, it was tiring. I didn't want any more drama nor any more fighting. Apparently, that was not meant to be.

Finally, Dumbledore nodded to the Red Guard, a concerned look on his face and that of the other teachers, even though they were trying to hide it to avoid scaring the students. Already, the Beauxbatons students were uncomfortable, whispering amongst each other in French. They knew exactly what was going on, but no one really knew why.

The Red Guard turned around, standing in formation. The man that appeared to be the leader stepped forward, a red rose clutched lightly in his fingertips. It was their symbol, after all, and it was customary that at least one of their group had one. He spoke, his words directed at the student body, laced with a little too much joy and a little too much confidence. But what concerned me more was what he said.

"Would Hannah Abbott, Seraphine Ségolène, and Gabrielle Delacour please step forward."


	11. Chapter Eleven

La Fleur De La Lumiere

Chapter Eleven

I could feel my heart beating in my throat. What they hell were they doing here? Surely Seraphine had done nothing to the French Ministry that warranted her death, and neither had Gabrielle. They couldn't. It was common knowledge that the French Ministry wasn't exactly a well oiled machine, they had a hell of a lot of issues, and this allowed corruption to run rampant. It appeared that the corruption had finally found its way to the department that could do the most damage with it. I realized that I was squeezing Fleur's hand with a grip that whitened my knuckles, and she was squeezing back twice as hard. They'd called her sister, after all, who I felt turn to look at us.

_"You'd better go, Gabrielle."_ I said. After all, it wasn't going to do her any good to stay sitting and anger them. It would make them even less forgiving, even more unpredictable, and that would just be bad for everyone. Already, Seraphine had stood, walking from the Ravenclaw table with a confident but cautious air around her. That was it, show no fear. The Hannah girl didn't follow that unspoken advice, however, she just radiated fear as she was the last to approach the Red Guard.

"Monsieur Clare, why don't you stand, also?" Their leader posed it as a question, but I knew it was more of an order than anything else. I gently pulled my fingers from Fleur's grip, standing. I walked up to the leader, his presence oddly familiar but in a way I couldn't quite place. "Occulus Orus." The light that hit my pupils was blinding, I could hardly open my eyes for fear they would burn out. Slowly but surely, however, I adjusted, and they waited. Light became shapes, and shapes took form. Their leader extended something to me, it took me a moment to realize it was a gun.

I watched the men standing slightly behind their leader, those standing closest to the Hannah girl and Seraphine reached out. One took a handful of Hannah's robes and the other placed his hand gently on top of Seraphine's head. It didn't seem menacing until you looked into the underlying tones. The leader was closest to Gabrielle, he reached an arm across her shoulders, playfully pulling the young girl towards him. She looked visibly uncomfortable, they all did.

"Let's play a game, shall we?" He spoke, still extending the gun to me with his free hand. I took it merely to appease him. The weight of the weapon was staggering, I never really messed with Muggle weapons. It just felt so solid, I could sense the power it could exert. A bunch of metal and springs and gunpowder, that's all it took to take a life. This was one way muggles were more advanced than wizards, they understood how to make a simple object perform a task that was generally difficult in a much faster, more efficient manner. Still, it was scary, holding something that could kill with one twitch of the finger. And that was saying something, I handled the sphere of Lumiere daily and it didn't bother me.

"Three people who are indirectly connected to you. Two live, one dies. It's your choice." My spit got stuck in my throat, blocked by the lump that had formed. He wanted me to _kill_ one of them? I couldn't do that. I just…couldn't.

"If I remember correctly, Monsieur, I rejected a job offer from you."I spoke, trying to keep my voice from wavering. I failed miserably, the trembling I felt inside was reflected. I could send him smiling under his mask.

"That you did, but this isn't business. Call it a social experiment." I didn't like where he was going with this. "Are you willing to betray your family ties for the one you care for? That's all I'm wondering."

"Couldn't you just ask? Why make me do this?"

"You could lie if I asked. This way, no mistakes. I'll have my answer, and you'll have yours."

"I'm not asking any questions."

"You'd be surprised." My grip on the gun tightened, I could feel the criss-cross pattern indenting the palm of my hand.

_"Since when has the Red Guard carried out these 'social experiments,' anyways? I thought your job was simply to eliminate threats to the French Ministry."_ He said nothing, I could still sense the same aura from him, and it was confirmed when he chuckled lightly.

"Decide quickly, Monsieur Clare, or they all die." I saw his grip on Gabrielle's shoulders tighten as she flinched, I saw another of the guard dig his fingers into Seraphine's fiery locks, causing her to cry out in pain. Hannah just looked terrified, did she know what I was thinking? I hardly knew her, in fact, I didn't know her at all. I knew Gabby and Sera, but I didn't know her.

I raised the weapon, not allowing my arm to shake, not allowing my aim to waver. I pointed it square at Hannah. The color drained from her face and sheer terror swirled in her eyes. Even from my distance I could see it. Had she really done anything? I doubted it. After all, he'd said this wasn't business. Which meant she was innocent. The pistol fell slightly-NO. I loved Gabby and I loved Seraphine. It had to be Hannah. There was no other choice. I couldn't betray them. My breath caught in my throat, my finger tightened on the trigger-

_"Emeric! Stop!"_ I recognized the male voice. I dropped the gun to my side and turned to see Alexius being led into the room by another of the guard._ "Please, don't." _He seemed close to tears, I could see them glistening in the back of his emerald eyes._ "You cant kill her, please."_ His words were so pained, so _desperate_. I couldn't do that. Whoever Hannah was to him, she was important. He was my cousin, not to mention Alice's twin, and I just couldn't.

I tore my gaze from Alexius, back to the leader who was standing stock still with Gabrielle next to him. My eyes caught hers, I just stared. They were so similar to Fleur's, the same striking shade of azure. I understood what he'd meant when he asked if I would betray my family for those I cared about. It was either kill who my cousins cared for, loved, or kill someone in connection to me. Kill someone who I loved, but who wasn't a part of the family otherwise. It was so unbelievably cruel, I knew he knew I couldn't betray my family. I was a Lumiere, for Christ's sake!

Still, Gabrielle had done nothing, done nothing but befriend me. She'd done nothing but be Fleur's sister, she was innocent. And by Lumiere law I couldn't sacrifice that, I couldn't. But what was a worse crime, to betray family or to kill an innocent? I knew the answer. I raised the gun once more, the barrel had found a new target.

_"Gabrielle, I'm sorry."_

My tears blurred the look of horror that arose on her young features, tears that welled but I didn't quite allow to fall. My finger pulled back on the trigger, once, twice, the recoil kicking the gun back in my grip each time. The crack was deafening, the second even more so. I heard the soft thud of Gabrielle hitting the ground (he hadn't even bothered to hold her up, the bastard!), Fleur's shrill screams shortly following. Their leader walked up to me, gently pulling the gun from my tight grip. I stared up at him although his face was hidden, too much in shock to really fully process what was going on.

"I'm a man of my word." He spoke softly to me, like he cared. Like he could sympathize with my pain while he was the one that had caused it. I didn't have the strength to yell at him, it was like all had been zapped from me. I could hear Fleur screaming obscenities at me in our native tongue through her tears, she clutched a bleeding Gabrielle to her chest. The girl wasn't dead yet, I knew it, she was just bleeding out, still from shock. The bullets had surely ripped through her organs, it wouldn't be long before they failed. Still, it was too long.

I took a step back, Seraphine rushed to a now standing Alice. Hannah had retreated back near the Hufflepuff table, distancing herself from the action. I turned to look at Alexius, my heaving breaths far too obvious to myself. He looked relieved, although sad. I hadn't killed his, nor Alice's. I didn't betray my family, I just betrayed the person who's trust I'd worked hardest for. Betray wasn't event he right word. I killed her sister. _Killed_.

Oh, god. I was a murderer!

"Sit, boy." Their leader said, forcing me to a seat at the Ravenclaw table. The students closest had already scattered, trying to move as far as possible. "It shouldn't be long till the others arrive. We can do our business and leave."

_"It seems like this business could've stayed at Angefort."_ Alexius didn't have enough anger in his voice to sound menacing, he couldn't, but the contempt was vaguely evident. Again, the leader seemed to be smiling.

_"No, it couldn't."_ he replied matter-of-factly. The guard still held a firm grip on Alexius, not allowing him to move to go check on Gabrielle or to see his sister. They exchanged a glance, one of those that didn't seem like much but to them spoke volumes. He didn't open his mouth again, but he didn't seem comfortable just letting them do whatever the hell they wanted. None of us were.

_"Get your fucking hands off of me!"_ Another familiar voice echoed from outside the Great Hall. Moments later, a man dressed in a fully fire-retardant suit entered, forcefully dragging along a struggling Siegfried. He was known to have a fiery temper, literally, and it seemed as if the guard knew this. Next to enter was Amelia, Siegfried's twin. She was being a tad more compliant, but her glare was like daggers and the anger radiated off of her. Although she could control it better, her temper was no less terrifying than her brother's. Both of them had some kind of piece around their neck. They were metal, and bulky, impossible to break off by human standards. They kept the younger twins' arms pinned up against their necks, rendering any spell casting impossible. Neither of them seemed happy about it.

_"You do realize who you're messing with, right?"_ Amelia's question was placed bluntly at the leader. He laughed, heartily in fact. It was unsettling.

_"Much better than you could ever imagine."_ He replied after his bought of laughing. A cynical grin rose to Amelia's features.

_"Then you realize that you put all four Lumiere elementals together in one room. Along with the keeper, and soon to be followed by the tracker."_ The leader nodded as his reply. Amelia would've shaken her head, had it not been restrained so tightly. _"You're a plain fool."_

"Bastard knows how to hide." A deep voice resonated inside the hall, yet a fourth entered with Noel, another of my cousins that I wasn't quite so close to since he went to school in Germany. He was locked in the same kind of device as the younger twins.

"I certainly would hope so." The leader replied. I watched Amelia and Siegfried exchange a series of looks, like they were formulating a plan. I wasn't sure if any of the Red Guard noticed, and it certainly spelled bad news for them. They were devilish together, capable of unleashing destruction in an impossibly short amount of time. I stood from my seat, taking a step back towards the leader and away from the twins.

Siegfried grinned, his gaze darting to the man that held a firm grip on his sister. Flames seemed to burn in his eyes, flames ignited by the passion and anger in his heart, flames that leapt and crawled across the one holding Amelia captive. She took her chance, pulling away from her captor and turning towards Siegfried. The same passion raged in her, I could feel it, exemplified by the hardness in her gaze. A piece of the stone floor was pulled up, smashing the guard that held Siegfried in the back of the head, hard enough to make him let go of Siegfried. Amelia hit him with the stone again, and again, and again, until he stopped moving. Blood leaked from deep gashes on his scalp, pooling slightly on the floor. Neither of the twins seemed to be horrified by this, nor by the screams of the man who was struggling to put the flames on himself out. Alexius must've figured enough was enough, because he raised his hand, muttering a spell that dumped water on the burning man. The flames were extinguished and he crumpled, unable to move because of the burns.

As if in unison, the gazes of my family members and I moved to Noel. As sweet and kind as the boy was, we knew his blood. We knew what he could do, we'd seen him try before. He was young and learning, hardly able to control himself at all. Once he'd lunged at another student at his school, I'd heard, and his father had to restrain him. All because the other boy had a cut.

I saw Noel's eyes were locked on the pool of crimson, his nostrils flared as he breathed the metallic scent in. Even I could smell it, I wondered how strong it was for him. I saw his irises turn an intense shade of red, faintly glowing with a powerful, driving hunger. His hands were curled tightly into fists, I watched as he struggled against the iron restraints. Slowly at first, but he grew more ferocious as the moments passed. And then, with one great snarl, he cracked the lock on the restraints and he was loose. Impossibly fast he turned, lunging on the man who'd held him back seconds before. He wrapped his arms around him, in a death grip he clutched with sharp claws. He snarled once again as he tore into the man's jugular, drinking as much of the crimson liquid as he could as it furiously pumped from the man's body. The poor guy tried to scream, I saw it, but no words came out. Alexius turned his gaze away, and so did I.

It was odd, even though it only took under a minute for this all to occur, the Red Guard had barely moved. Why weren't they trying to help? Didn't they care if their coworkers died? Didn't they care to get control of my family again? Or was this what was supposed to happen all along?

"That was not very nice." The leader spoke calmly, this didn't seem to faze him one bit. _"You're not ones to just go with the flow, are you?"_ Siegfried and Amelia bit back before I could.

_"You're very astute."_ Amelia said.

_"Did it take you many sleepless nights to figure that out?"_ Siegfried's tone was harsh.

_"Or did you just take your time and read every book on us that you could find?" _Amelia spoke before they fell silent. The leader uncrossed his arms, reaching inside his robes with his free hand. He pulled out four small vials of a white potion, throwing one to each of the four men standing behind him. They accepted the vials with a revere, their excitement worrying.

_"Don't drink them yet." _Their leader warned,_ "Wait until my order."_ The four nodded, although I was inclined not to believe their compliance. Their leader reached into his robes again, fingers inclosing on something I couldn't see. He took a step forward, then another, and another, until he was standing directly in front of Alexius. Alexius just seemed nervous, he didn't know what this man was going to do, and neither did we.

"I am a man of my word." He spoke to Alexius, whose muscles visibly tensed under his white and blue Angefort uniform. _"Most of the time."_ The hand that he had been hiding in his robes shot out, revealing his wand. He pointed it to his right, straight at Hannah Abbott, who had taken a seat by her classmates. Alexius barely gave him the time to begin to utter a spell, before his grip closed around the rapier attached to his belt. He pulled the blade from its sheath, and with the same motion slashed upwards into their leader's throat. He dropped the gun, bringing a hand up to clutch his throat, a feeble attempt to stop the blood that began gushing from his jugular.

_"I wont let you hurt her. Not now. Not ever."_ Alexius murmured with a hardness I'd never heard in his tone. He was the Incarne of the water sect, after all. In all aspects his spirit was a pacifist. He'd never hurt anyone, not like this. He brought the tip of his fine blade up over the leader's heart, and he held it there without trembling. Surprisingly, the guard behind him did nothing to restrain him. It just didn't make any sense, how they were acting.

What the _hell_ did they want?!

The leader twitched his wand hand ever so slightly, like he was going to strike. Alexius moved with a reaction time that could not be rivaled, thrusting the point of the sword into the man's heart, undoubtly piercing the organ. He pulled out quickly, slashing him across the chest once more for good measure.

However, the man did not fall. He continued to stand, staring at Alexius. I could tell their gazes had locked. Blood leaked from his fingers, coating them, staining his robes an even deeper crimson. Despite the fact that he was bleeding out, despite the fact that he'd likely just been killed by a boy sixteen years young, he began laughing. It was a quite chuckle at first, but it built up to a resonating boom.

_"I didn't think you had it in you."_ I wasn't sure how he was able to speak, and it was faint when he did. A look of confusion graced Alexius's features. Their gazes were still locked.

_"Didn't have what in me?"_ Alexius asked, tone of hardness gone, replaced with confusion and curiosity.

_"The drive to kill." _Once again, I could sense him smiling under his mask, reveling in his success. He was toying with us, and whatever he'd wanted, he'd gotten it. Finally, his body couldn't support him any longer, and he crumpled to the ground, his breathing slowly dying away. Alexius stumbled backwards, gripping his blade with white knuckles. A single droplet of blood fell from the tip of the blade, making a sound louder than any of us. The feeling of silence was broken by the sudden movement of one of the Guards at the forefront, his former look of amusement replaced by an underlying sense of anger.

"Well boys, it looks like we get to have some fun now." He and the others near him uncorked the small vials they had been handed, each throwing back the potion with a vigor. Even though I couldn't see their transformation, I could feel it. They were Fureurs, and that potion had just made them deadly.

The figure closest to Alexius moved quickly, pulling a wand from inside his robes, firing off a spell before he could even turn around. "Avada Kedavra!" Alexius reacted to the words and tried to dive out of the way, but to no avail. His body went crashing to the ground instead, limp. Alice faltered, attempting to hold back a cry, but she knew she couldn't go to him. I dropped my head, biting down on my lip. I just didn't understand why they were doing this. What had we done?

_"Lets end this quickly." _One of the Fureurs said.

_"Where's the fun in that?"_ Another replied, taking steps to walk around the Gryffindor table and towards us.

_"I would prefer to not encounter any angry Angefort professors, assuming of course that all went according to plan." _The rest mumbled a quiet agreeance. I wouldn't want to meet those witches and wizards in battle, either, and if they'd done something bad enough to warrant their wrath, they would be smart to leave as soon as possible. I pulled away from my cousins, despite their attempts to keep me safely behind them.

"What do you want?" I asked, hoping that I would get an answer this time around.

"Honestly? The sphere." One replied. I sighed to myself.

_"You know I cant give that to you."_

"Yes, we know." Fear gnawed at my nerves, my fingers trembled with anticipation and adrenaline. They knew that the only way to get the sphere was to kill me, and to kill me they had to kill all my cousins. They were prepared to go through with it, and they were capable. We'd never been trained against them, they were our own damn bodyguards, and after the incident everyone thought they'd gone away forever. Apparently, we were wrong.

The Fureurs began to form a circle around us, enclosing us, barring any chance of escape. Foolishly, Siegfried attempted to break past one of them, sending a fist full of fire into his face. It resulted in Siegfried being grabbed and thrown by his arm, smashing into the wall across the room. He didn't get back up. Amelia's eyes glowed with anger and disgust, but she knew better than her brother. She didn't move. Noel held himself nervously next to her, his eyes still glowing red but his hunger gone. I could tell that Alice wanted to attack them so badly, to get revenge for what had happened to Alexius, but instead held Sera tightly behind her.

My voice seemed to get caught in my throat, and I couldn't say anything. I wanted to retort, to talk them down, to get them to stop, but no words would come. I fell back, closer to Alice and Sera, holding my muscles with all the tenseness that I could, my wand seemingly hot in my fingers. Hell, it was the only chance we had. I fired off a hex at the Fureur in front of me, who managed to block it. I didn't expect that, it was a high-level hex. Fureurs hadn't known how to cast spells when they were under our control. I didn't think they would've progressed so quickly. I also didn't realize how fast they could move, since the Fureur I'd attempted to hex moved in front of me and ripped my wand from my hand violently. Sharp pains emitted from my shoulder, but I tried to ignore them.

"Again, just give us the damn thing and we'll be on our way." I shook my head.

"I…I cant."

A girl from the Slytherin table rose, not much older or younger than Alice. She gripped her wand tightly in her hand as she turned around and walked towards my family and the Fureurs. She spoke in a quiet, yet firm, voice.

"Stop this right now. You've done enough for one day." They only paid enough attention to laugh at her, wondering why such a small girl would dare to stand up to them alone. I would have to wonder the same thing, we could barely do anything to stop them, how could she? A sixth year at Hogwarts couldn't know strong enough magic to put a Fureur out of commission before he could physically rip them apart.

She uttered a spell I didn't know, seemingly doing nothing at first. The Fureurs, who had been advancing on us, stopped in their tracks. The girl muttered something else, causing a darkness to pull each of the Fureurs to the floor, holding them tightly by their wrists, ankles, and neck. The struggled and struggled, but couldn't seem to break free from the bondage. Clearly, it spooked the rest of the Red Guard more than before, since they began to move from their place at the head of the room and back out the doors the way they came. Probably attempting to evade whatever group was coming to arrest them, or worse.

_"What the fuck are you doing here?! I thought you were all back in France!"_ One snarled at her. She smiled ever so slightly, moving towards us and them.

_"Apparently, not all of us are." _She replied, walking past the struggling men and up to me. Alice and Sera moved as she began to speak, moving over to where Alexius's body laid. Amelia checked on Siegfried, who was beginning to stir from his unconscious state. It was sheer luck that he'd managed to survive something like that at his age.

"Are you okay?' The girl asked me, I nodded in reply. I was okay physically, mentally my mind couldn't sit still. It jumped from place to place, Gabrielle to Alexius, to Angefort, to this girl. I couldn't sit still and a feeling hung in my gut, a feeling of sorrow and anger and pain. I knew that this was my fault, they came because of me. I crossed my arms in front of my chest, trying to stay still and calm down.

"Who are you? I've never seen anyone subdue intoxicated Fureurs like that…" I spoke quietly, "Hell, I didn't know anyone could subdue them like that."

"My name is Sophie Moreau." She spoke with relief in her voice, this whole ordeal probably made everyone just as nervous as us. "I know it's weird to see our faces, but I'm a Fonce." I gave her a look of confusion. I didn't know that any of them were in England, but I suppose that secrecy was a big deal to them.

_"Why did you help us?"_ I asked. The Fonce looked out for themselves and their family, and no one else, so it didn't make sense why she would be helping us. Besides the clan war that had been going on for hundreds of years. I couldn't say that I would do the same for them, even though I have nothing against the family in general. I just, didn't get it.

_"Sometimes, people just need help. And I'm not a fan of watching people die when I can stop it."_ She replied. "I'm going to go see if the other boy needs my help."

"Who, Siegfried?" I asked.

"No, the other one." She replied. I gave her another confused look.

_"He was hit with the killing curse. I don't think he needs help."_ However, I followed her over to where Alice and Sera were kneeled. Alice was cradling Alexius's head in her lap and crying softly. Guilt tore at my insides once more. This was my fault, he was dead because of me.

_"I know when someone's dead and when someone isn't." _Sophie said, crouching down by Alexius,_ "And he is not dead."_ She muttered a spell, casting it on Alexius. The boy moved with urgency, snapping to attention fast enough to make Alice jump backwards. He breathed in deeply, rapidly, like he was trying to catch his breath.

_"I guess it works…"_ he muttered, attempting to stand up, but doing so with great difficulty. I could tell he was still in pain, but alive and hurting was better than dead. Alice asked him what he was talking about. He smiled, speaking. "I'm wearing the cloak of Dion. It's invisible, before you say you cant see it. It's supposed to protect those who have the interests of others at heart. Those who are kind and selfless. I've never actually tested it before, but apparently it works. Very well."

Alice stood, giving him a deep hug, tears still rolling down her cheeks. My heart pumped rapidly as Alexius pulled away, moving slowly towards the man whose throat he'd slit. He was still wearing his mask, eyes dull and cloudy behind it. Alexius leaned down, slowly removing the mask from his face. What he saw beneath it made him recoil and turn away, stumbling back towards us.

_"What is it?"_ Alice asked. Alexius didn't respond right away, he seemed in a haze. The horrible, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach grew worse. Something was horribly wrong, with everything. I could feel it. The edges of chaos tore at my mind, it was the moment before it all shattered beneath us when Alexius finally replied.

_"It's our father."_


	12. Chapter Twelve

**A/N: I've finally updated the Lumiere Chronicles website. It contains character information, along with other miscellaneous bits and pieces of information. The link to the website is on my profile page.**

La Fleur De La Lumiere

Chapter Twelve

"_Fleur, please let me in…"_ I could hear Emeric's voice from behind the locked door of my room. He'd been trying for over ten minutes to get me to let him come in, to let him talk to me. I didn't bother answering him this time, instead I merely stayed curled up under the covers, my cheeks wet with tears. Sure, it had turned out to be someone casting an illusion, and Gabrielle was perfectly fine. But it didn't matter.

He'd shot my sister.

"_Fleur, please…"_ God, he sounded so pitiful. I sighed slightly, beginning to lose my nerve. I slowly rose from my bed and walked over to the door, opening it as I dried tears off my face. Emeric slowly entered, shutting the door behind him. Honestly, he looked horrible. He had deep purple bags under his eyes and stress and tension was held in every part of his body. In my anger I had forgotten that he'd had a hard day, too. Worse than me.

"_Come here."_ I spoke softly, leading him over to the bed and sitting down. He sat next to me, allowing me to put an arm across his shoulders and pull him into me. _"I'm still angry with you, but that doesn't mean I don't care about you, alright?"_ He nodded.

"_You should be mad at me. I shot Gabrielle."_ His voice was barely audible, and I could feel him trembling slightly against me. _"I guess I'm just glad that nobody died. I mean, none of my cousins or people I care about. Or students, for that matter. They tend to go crazy when on that potion, the Fureurs do. Kill whomever they like."_

Something seemed to be eating at him, something about this attack more than just the fact that they were corralled in one place and tormented. He was shaking and nervous like after the second task, it must've been the same people.

"_You're worried they're going to come back, aren't you?"_ I asked. He didn't respond for a minute.

"_I know they're going to come back. One of the reasons we picked them as bodyguards is because we know they don't stop until it's done."_ He leaned harder into me. _"I just don't want anyone to get hurt, because of me." _

"_I don't think you'd let that happen."_

"_I can't stop them. No one in my family can." _

"_What about that girl? She can help, cant she?"_

"_I don't have much confidence that her family won't kill her for doing what she did today. The Fonce hold a grudge much better than my family."_

I sighed, resorting to merely holding Emeric until I could feel his shaking begin to subside and his breathing slow. I hadn't lied, I was still angry at him, but sometimes people just need someone to hold them. It wasn't like I didn't care about him, because I did. I cared a lot, actually. I wanted him to be okay, and then I could work on getting over my anger. Hell, Gabrielle had forgiven him as soon as she woke up and was informed about what was going on. It wasn't that easy for me.

The pains of betrayal run deep, I guess.

Finally, Emeric pulled away from me, looking at my face like he could see the emotion on it. I'm sure he could sense it, my pain and my anger, my sorrow. His mouth pulled into a frown as he reached up and placed a hand softly on my head, stroking my cheek with his thumb. The salty wetness had long since dried, but it was like he could still feel it.

"_I don't expect you to forgive me for a while."_ He said, _"I just, still want to be close…" _I nodded softly. Even though I was angry, I couldn't deny that I wanted the same thing. On top of all these attacks, the third and final task was approaching a lot faster than I ever would've liked. It made me feel nervous and alone. I didn't know where the confident, bold Fleur who'd entered this tournament had gone. All that was left was a nervous wreck. I think most, if not all the champions were feeling this way. I just wanted someone to be there, someone who would just hold me and tell me it was going to be alright. Emeric was that someone, for me.

"_So, what happened up in the hospital wing after they kicked me out?"_ I asked. Emeric shrugged.

"_Not much, I was questioned by that female detective and checked for injuries. Turns out I pulled a muscle in my shoulder, nothing serious. They're gonna question everyone else and check them, I'm assuming that Gabrielle should be back here at some point tonight…" _

"_What about Alice?"_

"_She and Alexius are…I don't know, really. Quiet. I think they're in shock. They haven't even told Siegfried and Amelia yet…" _Emeric shook his head, _"It's a sign that things are falling apart. Someone in our own family betrayed us. This hasn't happened in hundreds of years. I don't know how we're going to tell Olivia…"_ I was confused, but he quickly cleared it up. _"My aunt, his husband."_

"_Everything went from stable to not, didn't it?" _

"_Yes. This speaks utter chaos for our family. Attacks from the Fureurs and attacks from the inside out. We don't know how much he told them, if not everything. All our defenses are pointless, because they likely know how to break them. Its….nerve-wracking." _

"_I'm sorry, that this is happening." _

"_It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault, really. We just have to work with what we've got."_ Emeric sighed once more. _"I know everything will turn out alright in the end, I just don't know how many people have to die for that to happen.."_

We fell silent. I'd never realized that his family was in constant danger of being attacked, of being killed. I guess he'd never known, either. It had to be stressful, so much being left unknown. So much that they just couldn't know.

"_Let's lay down, okay? I think we could both use it."_ I suggested. We laid back, Emeric putting his arm underneath my head. He shut his eyes softly, and so did I, scooting a little closer to his body. Before I knew it, I'd fallen asleep.

* * *

I awoke to the sound of voices in my room. Groggily, I attempted to listen, without moving or opening my eyes. One voice was Emeric and the other Alice, I presumed the other male voice was her brother.

"_But Emeric, how do we tell our mother something like this? It will break her heart…"_ Alice said.

"_And to tell her that I'm the one who slit his throat…"_ The boy, Alexius said.

"_It has to be done. You can't just keep this a secret, it's a matter of family security. And you've done nothing wrong, Alexius. You protected, that's what our family is supposed to do."_ Emeric spoke with a confident tone, trying to reinforce his cousins. _"I'm assuming they're only going to let Alexius leave, but I'm not sure when. As soon as you get home, you need to call a meeting and tell everyone what happened last night. Until you can go home, you need to tell Amelia and Siegfried."_

"_But they're so young…"_

"_They're going to know sooner or later. It's better if they hear it from you two than from our family."_

There was a silence between the three, before Alice said, _"we should go. Breakfast should be starting soon, and I need to wake up Seraphine."_ They stood and left the room, with Emeric shutting the door behind them.

"_They're really nervous, aren't they?"_ I asked, and Emeric nodded. He didn't seem surprised at all that I was awake.

"_Nervous, and in shock. They usually know how to handle things, but this was not something they ever expected. I don't think you're supposed to expect your father to turn on your family and try and kill you and the people you love." _

"_Yeah, me either."_ I slowly rose from bed, heading over to my closet to get a clean uniform to wear for the day. _"Anyway, we should both get ready for breakfast."_ Emeric nodded, before leaving to go to his own room. I quickly got dressed, washed my face in the bathroom, and then headed down to breakfast.

* * *

When I entered the Great Hall, I could see Emeric sitting at the Gryffindor table near Hermione, Ron, and Harry. His younger cousins, Amelia and Siegfried, flanked him. Amelia seemed to be staring down at her plate with a feeling of disconnection. Siegfried wasn't eating at all, instead his hands remained in his lap. He wore a pained expression on his face. I walked over to the Ravenclaw table, sitting next to Seraphine, who had Alice and Alexius next to her. The elder twins seemed more calm, like they were coming to terms with the news. Their mutual sense of sorrow, however, was retained.

Seraphine looked at me with sad eyes and gave me a small smile and quiet "Good morning." I knew she'd spent all night comforting Alice, trying to get the poor girl to fall asleep, to no avail. None of them really felt like talking, and neither did I. Instead, I focused on eating my breakfast and listening to the conversation Emeric was having behind me. I could hear him explaining his family situation, his heritage, something he had been forced to recount many times in the last 24 hours. The boy, Siegfried, finally spoke up, words that had clearly been eating at him.

"You have no idea what happened yesterday, do you? The full extent?" He asked with such anger in his tone, an anger that should not be possible for such a young boy.

"I was told of the events at Angefort, briefly." Emeric replied in a quiet voice, trying to not anger his cousin further.

"Then you weren't told enough. They broke in with a mission, to find us and bring us here, and do as much damage in the process. They killed Headmaster Amari, mutilated her. Anyone who stood in their path was disposed of, anyone who tried to fight them." Siegfried held disgust and contempt in his voice, rightful wrath directed at the wrong person.

"_They butchered us like cattle, Emeric, and there was nothing we could do to stop it."_

The boy's hands, clutched in fists on top of the table, ignited in small flames. Alexius stood from the Ravenclaw table and walked up behind his brother, extinguishing the flames with a bit of water from the pitcher. He didn't have to say anything, instead, he placed his arms around his brother's shoulders, drawing him in to his body in an embrace that should've been awkward, but wasn't. His words struck a cord with Emeric, who dropped his head and continued picking at his breakfast. All I wanted to do was hold him, in the comfort of my room in the carriage, but I knew that wasn't possible.

I continued eating, trying my best to ignore the pain of those around me.

* * *

It had been a few weeks since the incident in the Great Hall. A man who'd introduced himself as Professor Nalan came from Angefort for Siegfried and Alexius, and Madame Maxime gave him approval to return Amelia, as well. He explained the situation at Angefort more clearly for Dumbledore, with more of a level head. Emeric had explained that since their former headmaster had been killed, Professor Nalan had taken her place. I thought he was handling the new situation surprisingly well. They all were. So the younger twins returned to France, like their cousin, whose father had come to pick him up the night of the incident. He seemed rough and tense, and he spoke with an accent. Emeric had stated that he was his uncle Dmitry, a Russian who'd married his aunt. Noel had gone with him with very few words.

Emeric had been off since that night, too. He always seemed guarded, always cautious and alarmed. It put me on end, made me constantly expect an attack. When he was tensed, I felt that I had to be, too. It didn't help on top of the mounting stress from the fact that the third task was in five days.

Five days, until my chance to win the title for Beauxbatons.

Five days, until this was over.

I could hardly wait and wanted it to be farther away at the same time. The pressure from Madame Maxime and my classmates was deafening. I didn't want to, but I somehow knew I was going to let them down. I wasn't ready for this competition, the goblet had gotten it wrong. Or I'd tricked myself.

Emeric had begun sleeping in my room, he'd said it felt too empty when he tried to sleep alone. I agreed. It was too difficult to sleep when he wasn't there, too cold and too desolate. It allowed my mind to wander and for my anxiety to steal my sleep from me until the sun rose from the horizon. He'd said that he'd been having nightmares. We both needed it, the comfort of another body, another person. Every night, we'd moved closer and closer, until there was no more room that could be comfortably distanced between us. It felt right.

Sleep hadn't quite taken me at that point, even though it was pitch black in the room. I could hear Emeric's steady breathing and feel his chest rising and falling, but I knew he was also awake. I wanted to sleep, to be cured of my anxieties and my exhaustion, but I also wanted to talk. There was so much I wanted to say. So much I needed to say.

"_Emeric?"_ I called out softly, it was impossible to hide the feeble nature of my voice, no matter how much I wanted to. He replied with a soft and simple_ "Yes?"_

"_I'm scared."_ Those were the most truthful two words to leave my mouth in a while, the two words I'd been pushing to the back of my mind over and over again after the first task. When I realized that it wasn't going to be as easy as I thought, and that I was no better than every other champion. Ever since the dragon burned my leg in the first task. I was terrified of doing another task.

"_I know."_ Emeric spoke softly, drawing me closer into his embrace. I don't know when it happened, but I started crying. I buried my face in his shirt, my tears soaking through the cloth faster than I'd imagined. I couldn't say anything else, only sob softly into his firm chest as he held me. For some reason, it was one of the most comforting things in the world. A place where she could actually be herself, not have to worry about the constant enamored stares or the prying eyes of the press. She could be honest when she was alone with him.

"_It's going to be okay, you know."_ His voice was smooth, soothing._ "I'm not going to let anything happen to you in the last task." _

"_I'm still scared."_ My voice was barely above a whisper, and the pitch was far higher than usual.

"_Of course you are, it's a scary thing. This tournament is scary altogether." _

"_I don't want to die."_

"_You wont."_ He spoke with such a powerful, solid tone that I couldn't help but believe him. It cut through all my fears and worries about the task, enveloping me in a warmth that seemed to clear my head. My tears died off, my face drying with time as I lay against him. His chest rose and fell with a consistency, also incredibly calming. I'd always liked having people next to me while I slept, and I was hurt when Gabrielle stopped sleeping in my room at night. My pride never let me show it, though. It never let me show how scared I was of being utterly alone, either.

I really was nearly alone in the world. People would call me crazy, saying that I get so much attention, how could I ever be alone? It's their attention that separates me from the world. All the boys (and some girls) are infatuated with me and the girls hate me for it. My mother had always told me that only a few people would be resistant to my thrall in life, and that I should cherish them. Emeric was one, as were Alice and Seraphine. I hadn't found much of anyone else, my mother had said that more would come later, more would always come.

I doubted it.

"_Are you feeling better, at least a little?"_ Emeric asked in his soothing voice. I didn't know what it was, maybe it was the way French words rolled smoothly off his tongue, or if it was voice, firm yet soft at the same time. I was glad he wasn't speaking in English, though, English was too harsh for his way of speaking. Made him seem cold, detached. I knew he wasn't, but it made me nervous. I nodded in response to his question.

"_Mostly tired, now."_ I replied, _"And my eyes hurt."_ It was true, they held a dull burn from crying so much, a pain I knew better than most people imagined.

"_I can get you a cold washcloth, it helps."_ He offered, but I shook my head and tightened my arm across his stomach.

"_Don't leave me."_ I sounded more feeble than I had imagined, more weak, more dependant. I was dependant on him, though, in a sense. He was one of the few who knew me and cared about me for me. Despite my thrall.

"_I wont leave you, I promise." _

His words resonated through my mind as I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

On the morning of the third task, I awoke with nervousness worse than I'd ever experienced. I didn't grumble in protest of my alarm, like I usually did, I merely shut it off and got out of bed. I'd been awake for an hour already, my anxieties preventing me from falling back asleep. Luckily, Emeric and I had retired earlier than usual, keeping me from feeling exhausted. I looked back to the bed, he was sleeping like a baby. I was glad that my wave of nervousness hadn't woken him up, too.

I went to the bathroom, hoping that the warmth of a shower would relax the tenseness in my muscles. To an extent, it did. The rhythmic sound of the water against my skin was calming, and the warmth of the water and steam seemed in envelop me. I reveled in the feeling for a good 45 minutes, before getting of the shower and drying off. I brushed my hair and my teeth, going through my morning routine, before wrapping the towel around my body and exiting the bathroom. It didn't occur to me that Emeric may have woken up during the hour that I was in the shower, which led to me being thoroughly surprised at him sitting up in bed, fully awake yet enjoying the warmth of the covers.

I knew he couldn't see anything and that it didn't matter that I was in only a towel, but it was still embarrassing. Warmth ran to my cheeks, I was sure they were a dark red color by now, a color that greatly contrasted against my pale skin. Usually, we woke at the same time and he would leave to take a shower and get ready in his room while I got ready in mine. It was just, different.

"_Good morning!"_ He sounded happier than usual, which was odd, considering the day. He was probably trying to be cheerful to mask his worry about me, or to make me feel more relaxed. I appreciated the sentiment. Slowly, I walked past the bed and over to my closet. His head followed the sound of my footsteps. I responded with a quiet _"good morning." _I rustled through my closet to find the appropriate parts of my uniform for the day that were actually clean, laying them on a chair beside the closet. When finished, I took one more look back at Emeric. He was staring at me, but I knew he couldn't see anything, so I dropped the towel that covered me to the floor and began to dress.

There was something oddly erotic about the whole thing, dressing in front of him, even though he couldn't see it. It wasn't like he'd never turned me on before, but it was…so much stronger than usual. The heat didn't leave my cheeks, but it was for a different reason than embarrassment. As I was clasping my bra behind my back, Emeric stood up and walked over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling my back against his chest. He didn't seem surprised that I wasn't wearing a shirt, like he'd known all along. For some reason, I was turned on more.

He rested his chin on my shoulder, inhaling softly. For the longest time, he didn't say anything, and neither did I. We just stood like that, with him embracing me from behind. It was comfortable, other than the fact that I wanted to turn around and kiss him desperately. I felt his lips gently press against the skin of my neck. I gasped ever so slightly, and my attempt to muffle it failed horribly.

"_Fleur, can I say something honest?"_ His voice was so quiet, I think the only reason I could hear him is because his mouth was very close in proximity to my ear.

"_Of course…"_ I replied, almost as softly as him, my voice trembling ever so slightly. As good as I was at hiding my emotions with people who were always watching me, I failed miserably at hiding them from Emeric. He took a long pause, it felt like an eternity before he spoke again.

"_I love you."_ I suddenly forgot to breath and my heart stopped in my chest. He'd spoke with such an intensity, a confidence, I knew he'd meant it. No boy had ever said that to me before and meant it, they'd all said it with a glazed over indifference. But Emeric, he truly meant it. Abruptly, I turned around in his arms, fulfilling my desire to kiss him. My lips met his and we kissed with a passion that I hadn't fully been prepared for. I wasn't prepared for the feeling that grew in me, a feeling of wanting and need, of passion. I cared for Emeric greatly, and I lusted for him just as much.

When we broke apart with a desperate need for air, I pulled myself closer to him, whispering a reply to his statement.

"_I love you too, Emeric…"_

* * *

I was the last champion to enter the maze, seeing as I placed last in the second task. It still stung to think of my poor performance and everything that occurred after that, how Madame Maxime had yelled at me, how unhappy many of my classmates were. I knew I couldn't do that bad again. I had to win. I had to make it to the end first and win. Make up for the part of my pride that was destroyed by the first two tasks.

God, was I terrified, though. Dumbledore had said that it wasn't uncommon for champions to lose their heads in the maze, that they tended to change. I didn't want to be a different person when I came out, but that wasn't going to stop me from trying to win the tournament. Emeric's light kiss before I reported to Madame Maxime gave me courage, along with knowing that he was in the stands with Alice and Seraphine, anxiously awaiting my return.

It was awfully dark outside, and the maze was even darker than I'd expected or prepared for. A light fog hung over the ground, partially masking it from my vision. I could feel my heart pumping rapidly in my chest. I was nervous as hell, but who wouldn't be in a place like this? It was huge, with so many dead ends and corners and entrances I didn't know about. So many places or people or things to come from. I only had two eyes, I couldn't watch everything, and it alarmed me. With the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end, I moved through the maze at a brisk pace, hoping to find the cup.

Even after what seemed like hours, I hadn't seen any sign of the cup, nor of any of the other champions. My only run-ins had been with some pesky vine plants and a lone Bogart. With simple challenges like that around, I knew I wasn't in the right place, but even with my fantastic sense of direction, I had no idea where I was. It was easy to get turned around in the maze, giving me no choice but to keep moving forward. I'd long since casted lumos to help light my way, holding my wand cautiously out in front of me as I walked.

Suddenly, I heard something behind me. The sound of a footstep that was too heavy, a stick breaking under the weight. I whipped around as fast as possible, but I didn't see anyone there. After staring for a good long moment, I turned around again and continued walking. I didn't hear anymore footsteps after that, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.

I rounded a corner while glancing back at the row behind me. "Expelliarmus!" A male voice yelled from in front of me. My wand was ripped from my hand and tossed aside. I quickly turned my head to fix my eyes on Viktor Krum. I didn't breathe a word, he had his eyes and his wand fixated firmly upon me. I didn't know exactly what the look in his eyes was, but it made my skin crawl. He took a slow step forward, before approaching me quickly. He'd put his wand away, choosing to firmly grip my arms and prevent me from running. I struggled against his grip, but all he did was press his fingers harder into my flesh. I bit back the pain. I knew that it was inconsequential compared to whatever he was going to do to me. My heart hammered in my chest, resonating in my eardrums, fluttering faster than a bird. Adrenaline coursed through my blood, but it wasn't enough to allow me to break free from Krum.

I needed to scream, do something as he forced me to the ground. I needed to get away. I needed to stop him and whatever he wanted to do to me. I let out a cry and he quickly punched me in the jaw, leaving me feeling dizzy. Somehow, I knew that no one had heard my cry. I'd been walking for hours without seeing anyone, why would that suddenly change now? I also knew that it was useless to struggle against him, he was bigger and stronger, but I did it anyway. All it resulted in was two more well placed punches to the head. After casting some sort of binding spell that I was too scared to recognize, he unzipped the powder-blue sweater I was wearing, revealing the tight tank top beneath it. Panic began to set in as I realized exactly what he was going to do to me. I struggled and squirmed against him as I felt his fingertips on the skin of my abdomen, trailing up towards my breasts.

"Stop, please stop!" I hoped my cry would faze him. It didn't, and all I received back was a grin. "Please let me go!" My tank top seemed to be annoying him, and he cast a spell to rip it up the middle. Tears sprung to my eyes when I felt him grope my breasts, much harder than could ever be pleasurable. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. Krum wasn't this kind of guy, at least, he didn't seem like it when I'd talked to him.

Apparently he was.

"_Let go of me!"_ He punched me again for speaking, harder this time, and I had to bite my lower lip hard to ignore the pain and regain my thought. What could I do to get out of this? There had to be a way. His fingers were growing more adventurous, trailing the line of skin right above my bra. I struggled and squirmed and yelled and cried, but nothing came of it. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

I couldn't get out of this.

Tears openly streamed down my cheeks, my hair was thick with dirt and I could taste metal in my mouth from biting down on my lip. I tried to block out where his fingers were traveling, tried to ignore him going under my bra, tried to lose myself in someplace else. I thought of Emeric, how I wished to see him again when this was over, how I wanted to lay in his arms and fall asleep to the rhythmic motion of his breathing. I didn't want to feel this, I didn't want to think about Krum pinning me to the ground. I'd managed to block it out the best I could, closing my eyes and imagining other things.

However, I was sure that I didn't imagine someone casting "stupefy" and feeling the weight of both Krum's body and spell be lifted off of me. I opened my eyes, finding Cedric Diggory running over to me. He looked both alarmed and concerned.

"Fleur, are you okay?" He asked hurriedly. All I could do was nod as I sat up, zipping up my sweatshirt to hide my bare chest. "Jesus Christ…I cant believe he'd do something like this…" He kicked a knocked-out Krum once in the gut for good measure. "Just to make sure he doesn't get up for a while." He offered me a hand and I shakily stood, regaining my footing as quickly as possible.

"_Thank you…"_ I said, and he looked at me with confusion. I realized that I'd spoken in French on accident, and responded with the same phrase in English. He smiled, slightly, grimly.

"I couldn't just leave you here, with him."

"It is a competition."

"I don't much care. I'm not going to stand back and let that happen to anyone, not when I can stop it." I was thankful that Cedric was a Hufflepuff, because if he hadn't been, I wasn't so sure that he wouldn't have just left me there with Krum. Looking around, I quickly found my wand, picking it up with some difficulty since the ground seemed to be spinning a little. Probably from the punches to the head. My stomach felt like it was in my throat all of a sudden, and I didn't want to think about what just happened.

"Fleur, come on!" Cedric insisted, looking down a pathway. I quickly followed him, seeing what had excited him so much. It was the cup, shining brightly at the end of the pathway. We both ran for it, and I couldn't understand why he wasn't just leaving me behind. He was faster than me, exacerbated by the fact that my balance wasn't at its best. We reached the small enclave, which had five different, continually changing paths leading to it. Cedric seemed to stare at the cup with wonder. I tried to do the same, but my enthusiasm had all but disappeared.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked, "It's yours, take it." He shook his head and looked at me.

"We should take it together." He suggested, and it was my time to shake my head.

"You saved me, you deserve it, so take it."

"We need to get you out of here, and this is faster than waiting for them to come get you." I didn't want to admit it, but he was right. I really just wanted to get out of the maze, and I didn't want to wait alone while a staff member came for me. Or worse, be in the same room as Krum as we were all taken out of the maze. "Come on, Fleur." I walked to one side of the cup and Cedric to the other.

"Okay, on the count of three. One, two, three!" We both grabbed a handle of the cup as he said three, and the portkey pulled us to where the crowds were eagerly awaiting a winner. Suddenly, I was surrounded by noise and cheering, and lights, and more noise, and it was all overwhelming and enveloping after being in the dark, silent maze for so long. My stomach was still in my throat and I came dangerously close to collapsing, but Cedric caught me before I fell, gently setting me down on the grass. Madame Maxime and my sister came rushing over, soon followed by the other staff members.

As soon as Gabrielle wrapped her arms around me, the tears began falling freely. I heard Cedric explain what happened when asked by Dumbledore, and I heard Madame Maxime nearly lose it on Karkaroff. Gabrielle whispered soothing French in my ears, trying to calm me down. In what seemed like an impossibly short time, Emeric, Alice, and Seraphine had run down from the stands. I felt Emeric wrap his arms around the side of me not occupied by Gabrielle and I leaned into him, crying harder than ever. Neither of them let go of me, and for that I was thankful. I felt safe with both of them around.

Emeric didn't breath a word to me, he just held me with all the strength and intensity he could muster. I didn't want him to say anything, I didn't want him to ask, only wanted him to hold me. To hold me and make all my thoughts and all my memories go away.

Alice leaned down and whispered something to Emeric that made his muscles tense, ever so slightly. I knew what it was. The tears began to dry up, but I didn't move to pull from the two people I loved the most. I still felt dizzy and sick, I could still taste metal in my mouth, and I could feel a dull ache pulse in my temples and jaw. All of a sudden, I felt very exposed, I could feel hundreds of eyes fixated on me. I buried my face further into Emeric's neck.

I couldn't speak to him, my throat was too dry and my mind too muddled to be able to speak in any language. Instead, my arms tightened around him and I exhaled sharply into his neck. My heart still pumped furiously in my chest, encouraged by adrenaline and fear. I wanted to get away from here, to a place more quiet where I could calm down, but I knew that wouldn't come for a while yet. Not until after the check-up and the questions, and then more questions. I just wanted to go away with Emeric and Gabrielle on the little strength I had left and sleep for hours and hours. But I couldn't, I knew I couldn't.

"_I'll kill him."_ Emeric finally whispered, loud enough for only me to hear.

I could tell from the tone of his voice that he meant it.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

La Fleur De La Lumiere

Chapter Thirteen

I cradled Fleur against me, her tears finally beginning to slow. My jaw was clenched tightly, in my feeble attempt to contain the anger biting at my insides. It churned my stomach, knowing what Krum had done, and I was glad as hell that Cedric stepped in before it became more of what that bastard had intended. The loud cheering for both Harry and Krum signified that they had returned from the maze, and I could hear Karkaroff and Krum conversing heatedly in Bulgarian. Pulling myself from Fleur, I stood, my wand finding its way into my hand. I began to walk briskly towards the sound of Krum's voice.

I hadn't been lying when I told Fleur that I would kill him. I would wrap my hands around his throat and press on his windpipe until he stopped struggling, because that's exactly what he deserved. Controlling him like he'd controlled Fleur.

"Emeric, come back here." Alice spoke sternly to me, over the noise of the crowd. _"Emeric, you had better stop walking right now and get your ass back over here!"_ I didn't even bother to turn around. What would she have done if Seraphine had been in that situation? Exactly what I was doing now. Suddenly, my feet flew out from beneath me and my torso slammed into the ground. Alice walked up next to me and grabbed me by the collar, hauling me to my feet once more.

"_Emeric, stop this nonsense right now. We don't even know exactly what happened."_ Alice hissed, our cheeks pressed together and her mouth near my ear.

"_Alice, he tried to-"_ I attempted to protest her, but she bit back twice as hard.

"_I don't care what you think he tried to do right now_." Her voice was low, close to a growl, _"The fact of the matter is, he looks just as scared as Fleur."_

"_That's because he knows what's coming for him."_ I retorted, much louder than she'd been speaking.

"_It's actually because he was cursed."_ Seraphine spoke, all of a sudden next to Alice. _"Looks like a curse that blocks mental and emotional inhibition, encouraging him to act on his darkest desires without knowing right from wrong."_

"_That means it was still in his mind_." I spoke quietly, my face downcast.

"_I know, and it's still despicable, but he never would've acted the way he did without being cursed."_ Seraphine replied, just as softly as I. _"If you want to kill someone, kill the person who cursed him."_

I broke away from the pair and walked back over to Fleur. She had remained on the ground, leaning heavily into Gabrielle. Gabrielle was crying, too, ever so softly. Crying for her sister's pain. I fell to my knees beside Fleur, taking her back into my arms. She'd begun sobbing again while I was gone, and she wrapped her arms around me, taking fistfuls of my shirt in her hands. Her entire body shook, I could feel her trembling against me. It took everything I had not to cry with her, and with Gabrielle.

"_Take her back to the carriage, Emeric."_ Gabrielle told me, _"She can't handle this right now. I'll make sure no one follows you, not tonight." _I nodded slightly, rising to my feet with Fleur in my arms, skirting past all the professors that would surely want to speak with her, but were preoccupied with Cedric and Viktor. As quickly as I could return her to her bed, I did, laying her down softly on the covers. I got out some comfortable clothes, handing them to her and turning around so she could change. Moments later, she was done, and grabbed my hand to pull me down next to her.

Lying down, I enveloped her in my embrace, trying to be that wall that would protect her from anything. It was the night that she needed it more than ever. I could still hear her crying softly as I stroked her silken hair, but she seemed to be calming down. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, letting my lips linger. It was like a seal of protection over her, my energy passing on to her.

"_Sleep now, my love."_ I whispered softly, soothingly.

Fleur was asleep moments later.

* * *

It was days before Fleur was willing to leave the safety of her room, and I was perfectly content to remain there with her until she was ready. Gabrielle had been bringing her meals and the daily news from around the castle. Apparently, Krum had been cursed by someone they hadn't been able to find, but it was very powerful magic that not just anyone could do. He swore that he would never do that of his own free will. I believed him, but it didn't mean I liked him any more. The celebration feast for the winning champions was being postponed until Fleur was feeling better. Both Harry and Cedric had passed along kind words, like I knew they would.

When I woke up that morning, the first words out of Fleur's mouth were: _"I'm ready to go out again." _I breathed a soft sigh of relief and gave her a lingering hug before she slipped out of bed and went to go take a shower. I sat up, running my fingers through my dark hair, trying to fight through the morning grogginess. I was so glad that Fleur was ready to go out into the world again, despite everything. Minutes later, Gabrielle poked her head into the room, walking in fully when she realized we were up.

"_Fleur said she's ready to go out again."_ I could tell that Gabrielle was smiling at my words. She came over and sat on the soft mattress next to me.

"_That's fantastic!"_ She said, enthusiastically yet softly, which is not something I had known she was capable of. The loudness of Gabrielle's voice seemed to be directly linked to the amount of any particular emotion she was feeling, especially excitement and anger. I was glad that she managed to tone it down, because I didn't know if I could handle someone yelling in my ear that early in the morning. We ended up chatting lightly until Fleur came out of the bathroom, dressed in her Beauxbatons uniform.

"_I'm so glad to see you feeling better, sister!"_ Gabrielle hadn't managed to keep her voice down for long, sadly, as she ran over to give Fleur a hug and a kiss on each cheek. I rose from bed, still wearing my uniform, eliminating the need to get dressed before we left for breakfast.

Being Saturday, breakfast ran late, along with most of the students who had jumped at the opportunity to sleep in. However, this meant that we would have to face their stares and whispers upon entering the Great Hall. I grasped Fleur's hand firmly in mine, I could feel her trembling ever so slightly, but she held confidence in her aura. A terrified, nervous confidence. Gabrielle was anchored to the other side of her sister, I imagined properly glaring at anyone who dared stare at her sister. Instead of sitting at Gryffindor, like I often did, I sat right next to Fleur at Ravenclaw. Seraphine and Alice were pleasantly surprised to see us.

"_Good morning you two!"_ Alice seemed to be more cheery than she usually was, probably because she was happy that we'd both come out of hiding. I had to say, I was quite happy too. Our breakfast was filled with light conversation and laughter, which I was thankful for. Fleur needed more laughter and fun in her life in that moment. Upon realize Fleur's emergence, Dumbledore announced that the feast in celebration of the champions would take place that night. I smiled over at Fleur, I thought I could feel her eyes hot against my skin, but I wasn't sure. I turned away just to be safe.

Tightly, Fleur wove her fingers with mine, our hands taking refuge under the table. The rest of the meal held light conversation and happiness from all parties, and for that I was thankful. I just wanted Fleur to be happy again, and it seemed she was well on her way.

* * *

The dinner in celebration of Cedric and Fleur went off without a hitch, the only slight issue being Fleur's tenseness around Krum. Alice said he looked guilty, with his gaze downcast most of the time they were relatively close. I didn't blame him for what had happened, although I did carry an underlying dislike for him. It was understandable, I thought. No one else seemed to disagree with me.

School seemed to be a breeze for all the students through the end of the year, they were both excited and saddened by the approaching end of the year. It meant both the end of schoolwork for a few months, but also friends going their separate ways for the same amount of time. I remembered the feeling from when I was in school, the end of the year rush. What I was feeling was more of a distinct sadness in knowing that I would be leaving the few friends I'd made at Hogwarts that year.

Our last day at Hogwarts seemed to come too soon, before I knew it the entire school was outside to wish us the best of luck and say goodbye. It wasn't long before Harry, Ron, and Hermione found me readying the great horses for the journey home. I latched the harness of the lead horse, checking its closures with a hard tug, ensuring that there would be no malfunctions due to my hand. I smiled at the approach of the trio, they were very easy to pick out when they were together, their energy reminding me much of my cousins. It was comforting, and likely the reason I'd become friends with them at all.

"It was great meeting you this year." Harry said, as soft-spoken as always, "Don't hesitate to owl me this summer, I would really appreciate keeping in touch." I nodded and returned what I figured was a smile on his face.

"Don't worry, I will." I said in response. Ron mumbled a simple goodbye, his eyes never quite meeting me. I got the feeling that he'd never really liked me all that much, or I'd done something to alienate him. I wasn't exactly sure what, but it wasn't really my problem if he wasn't going to take it up with me. I appreciated his goodbye all the same.

Someone from the mass yelled for Harry and Ron and they walked away from the carriage, leaving me with Hermione. She was the most mature of the trio, older in both her actions and in her knowledge. She was an amazing girl, and I had no doubt that her best traits would only grow better as she grew older. I smiled warmly at her, expecting her to speak but she seemed to merely stare at me in silence for an almost uncomfortable amount of time.

"Hermione?" I asked softly, and that seemed to set the girl off. She threw her arms around me, I could hear the beginnings of tears, and I hugged her firmly back. "Hush, Hermione. You don't have to worry. This isn't goodbye forever." She pulled away, sniffling ever so slightly.

"It isn't?"

"Of course it isn't. I'm going to owl you quite often." I said, placing a hand on the younger girl's cheek to remove some of the salty moisture of her tears. "You were one of the few people I met in England who I actually enjoyed having conversation with. Real conversation, of course. And I get along with you fantastically. So why shouldn't we owl often?"

"I just, wasn't thinking." She mumbled quietly, before continuing. "I wanted you to know that I really enjoyed going to the Yule Ball with you, despite everything that happened. And that I hope we really do owl often, because I want to hear from you in France." I nodded to her softly, before leaning in and placing a kiss on both of her cheeks.

"Goodbye for now, Hermione. You'll hear from me soon, I promise you that." I could sense her smiling as she quietly said 'goodbye' and hugged me once more, before running off after Harry and Ron. I wasn't lying when I said that I would owl often, I didn't enjoy talking to the girl. She was intriguing and inherently nice, not to mention intelligent. I didn't see any reason not to talk to her.

I ran through one last check of the horses, before giving them some whiskey and walking off to meet up with the Beauxbatons students as they boarded. I was behind Alice and Seraphine, at the end of the line the girls had formed to graciously enter the carriage, led by Madame Maxime. Hogwarts students were cheering as we and the Durmstrang students boarded, and I assumed that it continued as the horses began galloping and we took off, flying over the Black Lake and past the mountains, in the direction of Beauxbatons.

Most of the girls ended up sitting in the main room and socializing, and I ended up there after following the few girls I knew. I was sandwiched between Fleur and Gabrielle, and Alice and Seraphine sat across from us. It was our own little group, the same one we'd been in for a while at Hogwarts. No one seemed to mind, and I certainly didn't. Fleur didn't really like a lot of her classmates, because they either followed her mindlessly or were insanely jealous of her. I knew it was an effect of the thrall, but I could understand why it made her nervous and unsettled. She had eyes on her all the time and she never knew exactly who was looking. At least in small groups, it was easier to monitor.

The other girls didn't exactly bother us, I could sense the occasional glance, but they mostly kept to themselves as we kept to ourselves, talking about whatever came to mind. It was a regular, normal conversation without a topic that really weighed heavily on anyone, and for that I was incredibly grateful. It seemed like ages since I'd been able to have a non-serious conversation with the people I was closest to. The stress of the Fureur attacks ate away at me in a way that I knew brought me closer to the feelings of my ancestors, when our animosity towards the Fonce was at its peak. The worry about constant attacks, having to constantly be on your guard, it took its toll. I knew it wasn't only for my sake, but also for the ones around me, the Fureurs didn't distinguish between us and a hundred feet around us, so everyone's lives were at stake.

So, words could not describe how nice it was to be able to sit back in a chair and relax. To lower my guard and engage in absolutely pointless, yet fun, conversation. To laugh and smile without having to worry about the moment after doing so. I cherished that sixteen-hour carriage ride back to Beauxbatons.

Somehow, I knew it was the only moment of true peace I would have in a long time.

* * *

Fleur was greeted with loud cheering from the moment that we stepped off the carriage, the noise resonating from the majority of the students. Of course, they took great pride in the fact that Fleur had taken the cup, but I knew for a fact that she didn't. I could sense her hesitation and how uncomfortable she was, but she kept her chin high and I'm sure she smiled. She was guilty, though, she believed it was really only Cedric who'd won the cup. After all, she'd performed rather sub-par by her standards, and Cedric had insisted that she take the cup with him. She didn't feel like she'd earned it, which I understood. I was just proud of her for making it through the whole ordeal.

That day was the day the students of Beauxbatons were departing to return home for the summer, most were being picked up by their parents or other family members, so the grounds were filled with people of all kinds. Fleur received many compliments as we walked towards where her parents usually picked her and Gabrielle up. Gabrielle spotted their parents from afar, and she scampered off to meet up with them. Fleur remained at my side, her hand clasped firmly in mine. I turned towards her, smiling warmly.

"_Tomorrow is my family's annual end-of-school dinner."_ I spoke softly, _"I would love it if you accompanied me." _Fleur must've been taken aback, because she didn't answer me straight away. Was it too soon for me to be inviting her to family functions? I didn't think so, it was only a few months shy of a year since we'd first kissed. I thought it was appropriate. And I wasn't lying, I really wanted her to come with me.

"_Um, of course." _She responded, not sounding uncertain, but rather shocked. I smiled wider.

"_Great! I'll pick you up at 5 P.M. tomorrow." _

"_But, you don't even know where I live."_

"_Gabrielle gave me your address this morning, before you woke up. Just in case I wanted to drop by for a surprise visit, or at least that's what she suggested."_ Fleur laughed softly at her sister's actions.

"_Alright then, 5 it is." _

I leaned down, pressing a soft kiss against Fleur's lips that lingered far too long to be considered chaste, my hands resting on her waist. She kissed me back with a passion that made my heart beat faster than normal, that pleasant feeling that came along with love.

I wrapped my arms around her as we broke our kiss, pulling her firmly against me. As hard as the year had been and despite all the shit that had happened with the Fureurs, and with Fleur, I still cherished it. The time had brought us close, fostering my love for her and her love for me. I didn't regret going, not in the least bit. She, and Gabrielle for that matter, had made it entirely worth every second of pain. Fleur pulled away from me, giving me what I was sure was a smile that lit up her features beautifully.

"_I should go, my parents and Gabrielle are staring_." She spoke, laughing softly in a way that was like music to my ears.

"_Of course."_ I responded. _"I'll see you tomorrow, my love."_

As she walked away, I disapparated home with a loud pop and a smile on my face.

* * *

Fleur's reactions and descriptions of my family members was by far one of the most entertaining parts of introducing her to my family. I had no worries, I knew they would accept her wholeheartedly, they always did. It was surprising to know that Alice didn't share my view on our family, and was quite shocked to learn she hadn't told any of the adults of the family about Seraphine until that night. Seraphine was shocked, as well, but luckily not visibly upset. She was welcomed with warm arms, same as Fleur.

"_Your mother is much…shorter than I expected."_ Was the first thing Fleur said to me after dinner, as we sat outside on the grass with many of my cousins. I couldn't help but to laugh lightly.

"_Yeah, that's usually what people say about her first. But don't be fooled by her size, she can get horrifyingly scary when she's angry."_

"_I don't doubt that one bit. Your dad is deceiving, too. He looks so stern and hardened, but he's so soft-spoken!"_ Fleur kissed me lightly on the nose. _"You take after him in that respect."_ I had no issues with this statement, I was incredibly fond of both of my parents and I greatly respected them, so it didn't bother me when people said that I took after them.

Alice finally emerged from the house, plopping down on the grass next to me with a deep sigh, before burying her face in her hands.

"_What's wrong?"_ I asked her.

"_Seraphine's locked herself in the bathroom. She's furious at me." _Alice replied, I reached out to rub her back softly. _"I didn't want to disappoint her and say that I hadn't told my family yet, not after I'd promised I would tell them…"_

"_Alice…"_ I trailed off for a moment, _"I'm sure she'll get over it pretty quickly. Have you tried explaining why to her yet?" _Alice shook her head.

"_She won't let me."_

"_I guess I don't even understand why you would have reservations about telling the family. I mean, they're always so open to everyone we bring home." _

"_The person who was the problem was my father."_ Alice's voice was only slightly above a whisper. _"He may have acted fine and dandy with stuff around the family, but at home he was nothing like that. I was legitimately worried he might've tried to kill me, or worse, her."_

"_Alice, what did he do?"_ I asked her in a low, quiet tone, almost scared to hear the answer. She shook her head, taking a long pause. I had never suspected a darker side of Alain. I knew he had a horrible temper, but I thought he knew better than to unleash it on his family. I was surprised Olivia hadn't ever spoken up against him.

"_Never anything specifically to me. He got drunk and hit my mother a couple times that I know of. The one who got it worst was Alexius. He constantly tormented him for being 'soft,' saying that he wasn't becoming a man. I remember, he used to call him gay and smack him around, and it only got worse because Alexius never retaliated against him."_

Part of me was in disbelief. Alain had always seemed so laid back and calm, not the kind of guy who would abuse his wife and kids. However, I'd been witness to both his temper and his drunken tendencies, and I could only imagine what they were like together.

"_I guess that's why I didn't want to say anything_." Alice continued, _"He had such a hate for gay people and he was so vocal about it. It scared me."_

"_Just explain that to Seraphine. I know she'll understand_." Fleur said from my other side. _"She's probably calmed down enough to listen to reason at this point. So, go try."_ Alice stood, returning into the house. I sighed lightly, lying back on the grass, resting my head on Fleur's shoulder.

"_I knew something was up when Alice and Alexius didn't seem particularly distraught over Alain's death…"_ I spoke softly. _"I guess I just didn't expect that."_

"_She never really talked about her parents, not in the time that I knew her, anyway_." Fleur replied, absentmindedly rubbing my scalp. _"It makes sense, though, why she didn't want to tell them." _

"_I agree. And I think Seraphine will understand."_

"_Me too."_

We fell into silence after that, content to stare up at the clear sky and watch the stars shine from millions of miles away. From that point on, I was certain that I wanted to spend as many nights as possible with her, like this. Just laying out on the soft grass, surrounded by gentle summer warmth, watching the stars in a comfortable silence. I hoped she was thinking, wishing for the same thing.

The rhythmic feel of the rise and fall of her chest combined with the gentle beating of her heart beneath her skin made the burning in my stomach intensify, the pleasant feeling of warmth that I craved. Her affection made me feel lightheaded in the best way possible, like when she rolled over on her side and kissed me deeply, passionately, almost hungrily. We broke apart when air became a necessity, but I couldn't help myself as I placed tender kisses down her chin and onto her neck, my teeth grazing her pulse-point ever so lightly, just enough to make her shiver.

"_Promise me we'll see each other a lot this summer."_ Her voice was husky, our kiss having stolen her ability to properly catch her breath.

"_I promise."_ I responded, before kissing the same spot I had grazed with my teeth. She pressed her body harder against mine, moving to snuggle into my chest. I accepted it graciously, pulling her against me, her warmth as comforting as her heartbeat. After another long pause of silence, she gently called my name, and I responded with my full attention.

"_I love you."_ Those three words still never failed to pull the air straight from my lungs or to cause my entire chest to burn with passion. I smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, her hair silken beneath my lips. My grip on her tightened, and I couldn't help but smile.

"_I love you, too, Fleur. Always and forever."_

On that warm summer night, nothing more needed to be said.


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Part One

La Fleur De La Lumiere

Chapter Fourteen: Part One

Four months had passed since that night spent lying in the grass of Emeric's house. We'd spent so many days together, always at least four a week, for the entire summer and into the fall. He hadn't resumed his job at Beauxbatons at his parent's urging. They said they wanted to keep him closer to home, for security reasons. I could tell her was more than relieved to be back in France, where he actually had a sizable group to back him up in case of something occurring. I had overheard a conversation between his parents that I probably shouldn't have. They talked about the situation escalating incredibly fast, almost to the brink of war. Emeric seemed solemn about the idea.

"_Last time they decided to attack us, they killed more than I want to remember."_ He stated simply, playing with the thin bracelets around his wrist. _"Everyone's nervous about it happening again. Especially because we're all so spread out. I mean, most of the family currently is spread between Beauxbatons, Angefort, and Heldenstein, and it will stay that way until next summer." _

"_What about your aunts and uncles?"_ I questioned.

"_Spread out even farther than my cousins, for work purposes."_ He sighed. _"I know they all want to be here right now, but no one really can. It's really just my parents, Faust, and I. And that scares me."_ I laid a hand gently on top of his to stop his nervous movements.

"_At least last time, we were all in this house, so despite their numbers we had enough backup to drive them away." _His voice dropped to a near-inaudible level. _"With us separated, they can pick us off little by little until we can do nothing to stop them." _I could feel the fear radiating off him in waves, despite how he tried to hide it from me. From everyone, really. _"I'm really glad that you're leaving for this internship for the English ministry in a week. I just have this feeling that something horrible is going to happen, very soon, and I want you away from it."_

"_But, Emeric-"_ I attempted to protest, but he cut me off.

"_I know you want to help, but honestly, you can't. You would only get hurt. I don't want to get you involved, or Gabrielle, or your parents. Because that's what would happen. They go after everyone and everything around you." _

"_I know."_ I spoke quietly. It was true, I had witnessed it at Hogwarts. They'd threatened both Seraphine and that English girl that Alexius seemed close to, along with my own sister. I could understand completely why he was scared, but at least he was keeping his head about him. I looked up to see him smiling, more melancholy than usual.

"_As much as it hurts to see you go, I know you'll be safer in England. Not to mention this is a great opportunity for you."_ He perked up a little. _"I know you're gonna knock them off their feet, and that's with your performance and not your thrall."_ I laughed slightly.

"_I hope you're right."_

"_I know I'm right."_ He had so much confidence in his voice as he cupped my cheek. _"Fleur, you're clearly one of the brightest students to come out of Beauxbatons in the past few years, you were a Triwizard Champion, and that definitely wasn't due to your looks." _He ran his thumb softly across my lips. _"You're gonna be fantastic there."_ I smiled, unable to help the amount that I believed his words. It wasn't an unfamiliar occurrence when it came to Emeric, and I couldn't exactly pin why. Silence fell between us, before I stood.

"_I'm going to go get a drink from the kitchen. You want anything?"_ I asked, Emeric softly shook his head. My footsteps were nothing but a soft patter on the tile floor, seemingly loud in the quiet of the halls. The only person I passed was Adrien, Emeric's father, heading in the direction of the living room. He smiled and dropped his head in recognition as I passed, and I smiled back.

My father often remarked that a family's wealth could be measured in what drinks they kept in their house. This was very much true with Emeric's family. They had almost every drink I could think of in multiple varieties. He'd said it was to keep people's options open and to suit as many moods as possible, which I supposed was true. I had never been in a situation where I really didn't want any of the drinks in the Clare household. This time around, I settled on a nice glass of sweetened tea with hints of orange that his aunt had made. It was absolutely delicious.

Reveling in the sweet taste on my tongue, I walked back towards the living room, the house utterly silent until I approached the entrance to my destination. I could hear Emeric and his father speaking in hushed French, their voices surprisingly similar. Pressing my back up against the wall of the hallway, I listened to their conversation. I knew it wasn't right of me to be eavesdropping, but I knew Emeric wasn't telling me everything and it sparked my curiosity and my anxiety.

"_Faye, Ange, and Lyra were attacked last night."_ Adrien said, rather solemn tone to his soft voice. _"Luckily, they're very good at defending themselves and came out relatively unharmed."_

"_Did they find anything out from the ones that attacked them?"_ Emeric asked. His voice sounded grave, just like his father's.

"_Yes. They have managed to get ahold of the addresses of everyone in our family, and those of some who aren't." _

"_Who?"_

"_Seraphine, Theophane, and-"_

"_Fleur." _Emeric finished his father's sentence.

"_Yes, and Fleur. Although they didn't seem all that interested in her, the address was marked under the name Gabrielle Delacour, not Fleur. I'm curious as to why."_ My breath caught in my throat at Adrien's words. They were interested in my sister? What had she done? I couldn't stop my trembling, it spread straight through to my fingertips and toes. A pit formed deep in my stomach. I knew that if they went after Gabrielle, she would be no problem for them. She couldn't protect herself, and neither could I. That was scarier than anything else.

"_I have no idea why they would focus on her rather than Fleur, unless they're looking for a weak point."_

"_That was my only idea. They know you're close to both Delacour sisters, so they're going for the weaker of the two."_

"_I would assume that's it."_ Emeric spoke, before changing the subject. _"What about the others? Are they going to be okay?"_

"_As far as I know, Seraphine is moving in to Olivia's house with Alice for her protection, and Theophane already had plans to move to England with his father, so he'll be pretty far out of reach."_

"_Well, thank god for that."_ Silence fell between them after Emeric's words, a silence that wasn't awkward and yet wasn't comfortable. I could imagine Emeric staring blankly at a point past Adrien's head, while Adrien's eyes were focused on the floor.

"_I don't want to fight a war."_ Emeric's voice cracked, giving away his true feelings. I could hear some shuffling, I figured Adrien was sitting down next to his son. _"It's not fair. I've never done anything wrong."_ He sounded like a child, unable to comprehend why these things had to keep happening to him. I didn't blame him for feeling that way.

"_Nobody ever wants to fight a war, Emeric…"_ Adrien spoke slowly, _"Conflict is often indiscriminant, no matter the purpose or feeling behind it, and it rarely begins at a time of our convenience. It's just something you have to fight your way through, tooth and nail."_

"_We're going to pay for the sins of our ancestors because they can't accept the mistakes of theirs."_ Emeric's fearful tone had turned into one of anger.

"_Yes."_ Was Adrien's simple answer to his son's words. I heard shuffling once more, and I guessed that he had stood up. _"Be strong, Emeric. If not for yourself, for them."_

His footsteps were coming closer to the entrance and I jumped into the middle of the hall, acting like I had just been walking back from the kitchen with my drink. Adrien once again dropped his head in recognition as I passed, this time without the smile. I returned it, walking over to the seat next to Emeric. We sat in silence for the longest time, his gaze focused on an indiscriminate point of the room. I didn't press him, I merely took sips of my drink and stared out the large windows at the grassy hills outside.

* * *

That night, I returned home fairly late. My mother was asleep on the couch, her head resting delicately on my father's shoulder, the TV softly playing some show I didn't recognize. He smiled and greeted me as I came in, but I could tell he was close to falling asleep himself. Wishing them both goodnight, I walked down the hall and upstairs to my room. It was only minutes before I was changed into my nightclothes, a simple tank top and shorts, and underneath my soft covers. Moonlight lit my room ever so softly, filtered by my closed curtains, and I couldn't help but focus on the window instead of shutting my eyes and falling asleep. Adrien's words kept playing through my head. _The address was marked under the name Gabrielle Delacour, not Fleur…_

The attack of nervousness, anxiety, and fear hit me like a ton of bricks. All my muscles tightened, shaking in their tenseness. They were going after Gabrielle, targeting her. My little sister. She was just a girl, how could they do something like that? She could never defend herself, they would be killing her in cold blood. Heartlessly. I couldn't stop it if they tried, even if I wasn't going to be in England. Oh god, I was going to be in England, hundreds of miles away from Gabrielle. I could never protect her, not from there. They were going to kill my little sister and there was nothing I could do about it.

I quickly sat up, throwing the covers off my overheated form, my footsteps making no sound on the carpeted floor. It felt like someone's hands were around my throat, I couldn't catch my breath no matter how hard I tried. I was beginning to get dizzy, and it seemed like ages before my fingertips touched the cold metal of the door handle to Gabrielle's room. Without knocking, I opened it and walked in, shutting it behind me. She awoke as I climbed into bed with her, slipping under the covers. Her sapphire eyes, the same shade as mine, blinked in a dazed confusion.

"_Fleur, are you okay?"_ I didn't answer her question, I merely wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close to me. I knew she could hear my quickened breathing and the way all my muscles seemed to tremble at once, and I knew that she recognized what this was. I'd had a few panic attacks before, mostly at Beauxbatons, and she quickly learned to recognize what was happening. I couldn't tell her the spark, I knew she would ask eventually, but I didn't want to make her afraid. I didn't want her to become like this, not now, not ever.

Instead of asking me more questions, Gabrielle snuggled closer to me, wrapping a small arm around my waist. It had been a while since we'd slept together, since the nightmares or the fear had been bad enough to seek the comfort of each other. During the tournament, Emeric had taken Gabrielle's place, comforting me when I needed it the most. I never stopped to think that Gabrielle might've been as scared as me, that she might want my comfort more than anything else in the world. That she might've needed my presence like I needed hers in that moment. Guilt welled up inside of me, ripping at my chest.

The tears began falling before I realized what was happening, quickly turning into uncontrollable sobs. Gabrielle's arm around me tightened, silently insisting that I come closer. I buried my face into her neck, unable to stop the flow of tears and the assault of the emotions attached with them. I was so guilty and so angry and so scared, I didn't know what to do. I felt lost.

Gabrielle softly sang a lullaby in my ear, one that our mother often used to sing us to sleep when we were both much younger. Her fingers softly rubbed my back, in an attempt to calm me. Eventually, it began to work. My tears subsided and gave way to labored breathing, my muscles shaking with weariness. My sister continued singing in my ear, the same song, her voice remarkably like our mother's. Like mine. It was something I had failed to notice, Gabrielle beginning to grow up.

In less than a week, she would be starting her third year at Beauxbatons. In less than a week, she would be turning thirteen. It was hard for me to believe, it seemed like it was just yesterday that she was a tiny girl. Now, I was through and graduated and she was well along that path. And I would be leaving her, moving away from home for some job offer. Leaving her all alone. I bit my lip to keep the tears from returning.

"_I'm going to be fine."_ Gabrielle spoke softly. I hadn't realized she'd stopped singing to me, so her words came as a bit of a shock. How did she always seem to know what I was thinking? It was a gift. _"I know you're scared about going that far away from me, but I'll be fine." _She spoke with such confidence, like she wasn't afraid at all. I'm sure she probably wasn't, Gabrielle had always been more reckless than I had, but she didn't have the same information as me.

"_I'm just, worried…"_ My voice was feebler than I'd imagined, and Gabrielle held me closer, trying to comfort me as best she could.

"_I know. If it makes you feel any better, I'm sure you could just apparate into my dormitory any night that you feel like you need to. No one would know, and we wouldn't get in trouble."_ She kissed the top of my head. _"You know, just if you ever need me."_

"_I want you to promise that you'll call me if you ever need me when I'm away. Don't hesitate." _

"_I promise."_

Silence fell between us then. My eyes were weary and burning from all my crying, so I shut them, allowing myself to be relaxed both by the presence of my sister, and the fact that my wand was on the night table next to Gabrielle's bed. At least for tonight, I knew that my sister would be safe.

* * *

It was my last day before leaving for England, and I spent a decent majority of it at Emeric's house. His parents were bustling about, doing god knows what, leaving us alone to talk. I had seen Gabrielle off when she left for Beauxbatons, giving her a lingering kiss on both cheeks. Just in case something happened. Just in case. I went home and packed my bags, ready to leave and nervous at the same time. Emeric listened intently to me when I spoke about my fears, my anxieties, like I knew he would.

"_Promise me that you'll have your cousin look over Gabrielle at school."_ My voice was barely above a whisper. _"She's in Gabrielle's year, it shouldn't be that hard, should it?" _He nodded.

"_Don't worry, I already asked Amelia to keep an eye out for anything suspicious regarding Gabrielle. And don't forget that Seraphine and Alice have one more year to go, and they'll keep a good eye on her."_ He told me. It made me feel better, but only slightly. _"She will be okay, Fleur, just have faith." _It was my turn to nod. Without warning, his arms enveloped me in a hug, and I did the same.

"_Do you have faith?"_ I asked, and Emeric looked mildly confused. _"Do you have faith that the people you love are going to come out of this alright?" _

"_I'm trying."_ He smiled slightly, sadly, at me, and I cast my gaze down at my lap. He placed a reassuring hand on top of mine. I wasn't sure if it was for my benefit or his.

For the first three months of summer, we spent most of our time in each other's arms; cuddling, kissing, and sometimes more. I felt that it was utterly amazing, and I didn't doubt that he felt the same way. However, such behavior between us had all but stopped a month ago. Not in a bad way, like a natural progression from desperate attraction to a more relaxed relationship. We started spending our time hanging out and talking, rather than kissing. I had admitted to myself that I preferred this, this natural relationship. He acted like he did, as well. It wasn't like we didn't care about each other, it was clear that we both did. It was like we had naturally progressed into caring for each other in a different way. Still close, but more friendly than romantic.

"_Emeric?"_ I questioned, changing the subject when he responded to my inquiry._ "Do you feel like we're more like friends than lovers at this point?" _He smiled, sighing slightly.

"_I was hoping you'd bring this up, so I wouldn't have to."_ He spoke softly, _"And to answer your question, yes. I like it better this way, though, especially at this point in time."_

"_Me too.."_ I responded, trailing off slightly. _"It's like we had to clear the sexual tension between us before we could be true friends._" He chuckled lightly, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead.

"_I would have to agree. I don't regret a single thing that happened between us before, but I like it just how it is now. Friendly and close." _

"_Me too."_ A feeling of relief flooded my insides. So I had been right in my assumptions about Emeric's feelings, and I was incredibly glad for that. I loved him and I cared about him a lot, but it was just as a friend. The fact that he felt the same kept things from getting overly complicated for the both of us, and complicated was something we both didn't need at that moment in time. He had a war to fight, and I had a job to do. It wasn't the time for a romantic relationship that their hearts weren't in.

Emeric slowly stood from the couch, and it was then that I realized that we'd been sitting in silence for a decent amount of time. The sun had set below the horizon, casting the outside into darkness. I followed Emeric up off the couch.

"_You should probably get going, it's becoming late and you should get some rest before your trip."_ He spoke, before leaning forward and pressing a linger kiss on both of my cheeks. It was like what I'd done with Gabrielle, just in case. _"Good luck with your internship. Make sure to owl me often."_ His smile was warm and infectious, I couldn't help but return it.

"_Of course, Emeric. I couldn't imagine not owling you while I'm gone. And I'll visit at holidays, of course."_ His face lit up slightly, and I wrapped my arms around him in a firm hug_. "Be safe while I'm gone, Emeric. And keep me updated. I'll be wishing for your safety and the safety of your family every day."_ We broke apart, and I moved for the front door, opening it quietly. _"Goodbye, Emeric."_

"_Goodbye, Fleur. My wishes are with you." _

I walked outside, shutting the door behind me before disapparating with a loud 'pop.'


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Part Two

La Fleur De La Lumiere

Chapter Fourteen: Part Two

My father was right when he said that this would be a war.

The constant feeling of alarm and nervousness wore at my senses, leaving me in a never-ending state of unrest. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was constantly being watched, a million angry and hateful eyes on me, just waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. I was always on my guard, always weary, always cautious.

I knew that my brother had it worse than I did. He rarely slept more than two hours a night, his visions so frequent and so intense that he could never rest. I often ended up in bed with him, attempting to lull him back to sleep, to stop his tears and his shaking and his terror, but to no avail. Every time he shut his eyes, he was cursed with another dark image. He stopped showing me them, after a while, saying he didn't want anyone else to have to suffer from seeing such horrific images. I didn't protest.

This night was no different than many before it. I was sleeping next to my brother, our backs pressed together, wand clutched tightly in my hand. He awoke screaming, and I rolled over as soon as he jarred me from my sleep. He was dripping sweat, eyes wide with terror and anger and agony, breath coming in heavy pants. He stopped screaming when he realized he was awake, and I quickly threw my arm across him, pulling him so his back was against my chest. All of his muscles trembled, he shook violently against me.

"_Do you want to talk about it?"_ I asked, and to my surprise, he answered me this time. I was happy for that, even though his answer was short.

"_Gabrielle. They're hunting her, but they won't attack for years_." Was all Faust said to me. I was thankful for his vision, it confirmed what I had been thinking. Gabrielle was safe, for a while. I knew that it was only a matter of time before they realized her powerful connection to me and started pursuing her, but the Fureurs weren't stupid. They would wait for the right time, no matter how long it took. And apparently, that was years.

My arm around Faust tightened, the tears leaked silently from his eyes. All he'd told me was that his visions were about girls, always. Some he didn't know and some that he did. It didn't take much to assume that they were dying, always dying, and that he didn't know why, nor how to stop it. That's why it tore him apart, because he couldn't do anything. I began singing a lullaby to him, trying to quiet his tears and stop his shaking. It was the same lullaby our father used to sing to us, when we were little.

It was just like after the first Fureur attack. I had found my brother huddling and crying in a corner, visibly worn down from the visions that had been assaulting him. It was before his power was developed and refined, still even now it came in a chaotic mess of images, but it was worse then. I scooped him up, taking him to his room and lying down with him, pulling his back against my chest. He shook violently against me, crying. The only thing I could think to do to calm him was to sing the only lullaby I knew.

Even though we were all grown up, both graduated from school and out in the world, Faust was still my little brother. It broke my heart to see him upset like this, the same way it had when we were young. I was just glad that my method of calming him still worked, after all these years. Faust's tears disappeared and his shaking turned into slight shivers here and there. After an eternity, his breathing leveled out and he returned to sleep, leaving me hoping that this would be his only vision for the night. I kept my arm thrown across my little brother, wand clutched firmly in that hand. I knew he found it comforting, knowing that if something were to happen, I could instantly protect us both.

We'd both grown up and matured from young boys into young men, and yet so much between us stayed the same. Though so remarkably different, Faust was still the same little brother that I had always known. I hoped that I was still the same to him, his big brother, his protector and shield. I didn't care that it was supposed to be the other way around, that this was a war and that I was more important than him in the family hierarchy. To hell with tradition, it was what brought us to war in the first place.

Honestly, I was glad that Fleur had gone away, and that she had gone away as my friend and not as my lover. As much as I cared, France wasn't safe for her anymore, and it wouldn't be for a good long while. Not until we killed every single Fureur who dared attack them, not until this war was over. She was better off in England, away from the fighting and the pain, the fear. It was never a life that suited her, my subconscious and hers both realized this long before we ever did. She needed someone with a more stable life, someone who wasn't a constant target for attack. Someone I knew she would find soon enough. I just wanted her to be happy, happy with someone when I knew I couldn't be. Happy in a carefree life, away from pain and suffering and sleepless nights. It was what she deserved, after all.

Finally, I could feel myself beginning to drift off into sleep, or at least the closest thing I could get to sleep. I shut my eyes, moving in closer to my little brother. Fear gripped every one of my senses, overpowering, overwhelming. I just wanted to give up and cry, to let them kill me and have this be done, but I knew I couldn't. I had people who cared about me, people who needed me. I had to make it through, if not for myself, for them. I knew to expect complete and utter devastation from this war, but it was just something I had to fight my way through, tooth and nail.

My grip on my wand tightened, and I whispered a last wish for the safety of those I loved, for Fleur and Gabrielle, for my brother, for my cousins.

Just in case.

**To Be Continued.**


	16. Author's Note

**_A/N:_** I'm sorry for posting this as a new chapter, but I just wanted get the word out that the first chapter of the sequel to La Fleur De La Lumiere is now up. It's titled Three Minutes To Midnight, and you can find it under my stories. If you've made it to this point, I want to thank you for taking the time to read all the way through the first part of my Lumiere Chronicles. It means a lot to me, and I want to thank you all.


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